Decay Definition and 998 Threads

I'm trying to tinker with a little home radioactive material, like Americium-241. I'm taking all the precautions for shielding, even though Americium isn't that dangerous behind any surface. So I understand the physics behind WHY radioactive decay generates heat, I'm wondering, though, what...

Homework Statement A radioactive source is to be used to produce electrical power from the alpha decay of 238 Pu (half life of 88 years). a) What is the Q value for the decay? b) Assuming 100% conversion efficiency, how much power could be obtained from the decay of 1.0 g of 238 Pu? Homework...

The question is to determine which decays are possible for: i) ##P^0## ## ->\prod## ##^+## ## \prod## ##^-## ii)##P^0## ## ->\prod## ##^0## ## \prod## ##^0## where ##J^p = 0^-, 1^- ## respectively for ## \prod## ##^+##, ## \prod## ##^-## , ## \prod## ##^0## and ##P^0## respectively. For...

Hello, I've recently started studying Nuclear physics and would appreciate help from someone who could clarify my doubt. Given Problem: 19O -> 19F + e + v Calculate the Q-value in the given decay using following data: Atomic masses: 19O 19.003576u 19F 18.998403u The problem that I'm having...

Homework Statement By taking the natural logarithms of each side, that this equation can be linearized by making a semi logarithmic plot. Identify the variables and state what the slope , and y-intercept would represent. Homework Equations F=Fo*e^-(d/cτ) The Attempt at a Solution I tried...

Homework Statement A Σ0 baryon, traveling with an energy of 2 GeV, decays electromagnetically into a Λ and a photon. What condition results in the Λ carrying the maximum possible energy after the decay? Sketch how the decay appears in this case, and calculate this energy. Explain your...

Hi everyone! I have two questions about radioactive decay that some of you might be able to answer (I'm a mathematician and no physicist by the way). The first one is very general: As I understand it the time at which a single instable atom decays is believed to be a truly random process. But...

Hi, I'm just trying to get my head around beta decay and would appreciate it if someone could correct me if I'm wrong. Beta minus decay involves the transformation of a neutron into a proton, electron and electron antineutrino. This is all mediated by the weak nuclear force and involves W and Z...

I can’t find yield data for the concurrent creation and decay of fission products in an operating reactor. All the references I can find on the net are for the decay of a fixed lump. In an operating reactor the lump is (for a while) growing at the same time it is decaying. So, I started my...

Homework Statement A possible decay mode a of a positive Kaon in the production of three Pions as shown below:. K+ → π+ + π+ + π− Whats is the maximum Kinetic energy that anyone of the pions can have? The kaon is a rest when...

Homework Statement Use the periodic table to find the daughter nucleus after a gold nucleus (Au) undergoes beta decay. What would be the result if the gold nucleus had undergone alpha decay instead? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution Beta Decay: A=196.96655 Z=80 Au Alpha Decay...

Hi, I am working on D 0 →K+ K− for my school project. I looked for any similar subjects and essays, i could not find this specific decay, i could write the form factors and also effective hamiltonian by myself but unfortunately i have problem writing the equations for LCDA ( light cone...

A question about time dilation.. I find myself in an argument / discussion about the theory of time dilation, and it seems to me, that the terminology is really the problem. Would it not be more accurate to say that the effects of time slow, as speed increases ? To say that our test of clocks...

I've started studying physics at a basic level and I've ready that beta decay takes place when the number of neutrons exceed the number of protons in a nucleus. Why does this excess number of neutrons compared to protons make the nucleus unstable? Also, what does an unstable nucleus mean?

I apologise in advance for my rather minimal knowledge of physics. Please assume that anything I write below is just my current understanding, and may very well be incorrect... Elementary particles decay into other elementary particles. When a a subatomic particle decays into a pair of other...

Homework Statement the variation of nuclear binding energy per nucelon of nuclei P , Q , R and S are shown. Which process most likely to occur? the ans is P to Q ... why not S to R ? both P to Q and S to R involve formation of unstable nucleus to more stable nucleus... Homework...

Homework Statement from the physics fact in the photo, i know that the daughter nucleus is a positive ion... but , referring to the part 2 , finding the mass loss in beta decay in terms of atomic mass , it says that A_(z+1) Y has extra one orbitting electron comapred to the parent nucleus. this...

So, I am wanting to vary a parameter in an equation with respect to time. Vary mass flow [ m(t) ] for an exponential decay to half its original value in around 60 seconds. I know the regular decay equation where: m(t)=m0*exp(-At) but I want the value to approach a steady state at 60 seconds...

Hey community! Since a couple of hours I've been dealing with the question why the decay $$D^0 \rightarrow K^+ K^-$$ is suppressed. If I draw the Feynman diagram for the first order decay, everything seems pretty alright as the charm quark can couple with a strange quark. The resulting W+ can...

What book do you recommend me to read to fully understand the radioactive decay law (equation, derivation, graphs, units)?

Homework Statement The nuclear masses of parent and daughter nuclei are Mp= 226.025 amu and Md=222.017 amu.Mass of alpha particle is Mα=4.002amu.Find qvalue and kinetic energy of alpha particle emitted for the alpha decay. Homework Equations Q=(Mp -Md-Mα)amu...1 Assuming nucleus to be at rest...

Homework Statement in the first photo of my note , it says that the product nucleus has Z electrons[FONT=Verdana] (not Z+1) electrons , whereas for the 2nd part of my note , it says that the atomic masses of the product nucleus( which has A nucelon mumber and Z+1 proton number) , it has one...

So i have a graph representing iodine 131 y axis of 0-100 iodine remaining in the body (%of dose) x asis 0-60 Time in days with the points plotted (24,12.5) The equation of the graph is D = D0 (b) t/k So i have figured out "k" which is 8 for iodine half life. Which it asked me to do in the...

Homework Statement By what factor does the amplitude decay in the time interval (which I had to find). E: stored energy γ:damping rate a: amplitude t: time Q: quality factor T:Period ω: frequency Homework Equations Q = 2∏E/(ΔE) The Attempt at a Solution I found the interval to be t=QT but...

So in beta decay I know a neutron can decay into, proton, electron and antineutrino (Or, neutrino, since they're both the same?) But anyhow, regardless of the neutrino, in neutron stars electron degeneracy doesn't hold and electrons combine with photons to form neutrons. But isn't that...

Homework Statement The Shroud of Turin, which shows the negative image of the body of a man who appears to have been crucified, is believed by many to be the burial shroud of Jesus of Nazareth. See the figure below. In 1988 the Vatican granted permission to have the shroud carbon-dated. Three...

Anyone able to explain Beta decay?

Homework Statement A Higgs boson has mass 125 GeV/c2, decaying into a pair of Z bosons, mass 91 GeV/c2. In the lab frame, one of the Z bosons is at rest. Determine the kinetic energy for the other Z boson in this laboratory frame. Homework Equations E = γmc2 γ=1/√(1-β2) The Attempt at a...

I'm a little confused. During Beta(-) radiation, a neutron becomes a proton due to a down quark becoming an up quark. When this happens, a W(-) boson is emitted which almost immediately decays into an electron and an electron antineutrino. A W(+) boson, similarly, is emitted when a down quark...

So I came across something learning about carbon dating because new student in university taking geology. So brushing up more on fossils and obscure things so the year won't be a total shock. I inevitably got interested by what I was reading then I stumbled on the creationist blogosphere...

A 100 mg sample of magnesium-27 decays by 7% of its previous mass every minute. Determine its half-life and start the half-life decay equation. The textbook that I got this from (Nelson Physics 11) tells me the answer, but uses a long and annoying process to find it: creating a table at...

Homework Statement Can someone check this please ? Calculate the maximum number of 116In nuclei (number in equilibrium) in the sample if the half-life of 116In is 54 m. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution The half life is 54 minutes, converted to seconds = 54m...

Hello! So I have an issue with determining the probability of a daughter isotope's nucleus being on a certain level after decay from an unstable parent isotope's nucleus on another level. For example: I have a Co-60 nucleus and it decays to a Ni-60 nucleus by B- emission. If the parent Co-60...

I am wondering how Muons are manufactured. Wikipedia says they're the decay products of cosmic rays, and that cosmic rays are usually high energy protons. So a high energy proton (cosmic ray) decays into a muon after colliding with matter on earth. How is consistent with the fact that...

What is difference between beta particle and electron? I mean in spin, mass or other properties.

Hi, I have been getting a little confused; the textbook (and from what i can see on-line) are saying that Hadrons only interact through the strong interaction (along with the electromagnetic force if charged Q) and yet K Mesons decay through the weak interaction. If my understanding is correct...

Homework Statement One of the following equations represent a possible decay of the K + kaon. K+ → π+ + π0 K+ → μ+ + νμ State, with a reason, which one of these decays is not possible.The Attempt at a Solution At first i thought the first decay was not possible, however, i recently learned...

How W- boson decay into electron and anti neutrino?

I wanted to know If we have a antimatter it decays ? Actually I am asking Is antimatter decay ? Thanks

Hello! I'm not entirely sure this is very "scientific", but I have an idea that I would like some feedback on. I remember reading an article related to radioactive decay varying with the rotation and distance from the sun on Phys.org a few years back (http://phys.org/news202456660.html) and was...

[SIZE="4"]Definition/Summary Radioactive decay is the process in which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves. This decay, or loss of energy, results in an atom of one type, called the parent nuclide transforming to an...

Hey Everyone, Just wondering what would be a good experimental investigation involving a radioactive source and the shielding of it. Simple ones I was thinking about were the effects of changing the distance the shield is from the source, the material of the shield and also the thickness of the...

[I don't know if this is in the right topic or not so I hope I'm all good] My question is related to the exponential growth and decay formula Q=Ae^(kt). Simply, why is the value e used as the base for the exponent? Does it have to be e? If so, can anybody tell me why? Thanks~| FilupSmith |~

I was curious as to the difference in free neutron decay and the lack of decay when bound in a nucleus. I found the following statement here http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron#Free_neutron_decay I don't understand that. Is the wave function of the neutron different when free or bound...

I'm new here and have a very basic question that I haven't been able to see answered here or elsewhere, so forgive the banality if this seems trivial. I understand Rubidium has a "normal" atomic weight of 85 and often exists as its isotope Rb87. When Rb87 decays, why doesn't it decay to...

If uranium 238 is more stable than uranium 235 because 3 extra neutrons add to strong force then uranium 236 having 1 extra neutron should have more strong force than uranium 235 so why does it decay so fast and why is it more unstable than uranium 235?

When I opened up the "High Energy,Nuclear,Particle Physics" section, it was kind of like "Holy $#^*!- I don't know what any of the words mean!" I'm here because I don't know what I'm talking about. Also, I'm not sure if this is the right area of the site for this particular question. So...

For example tritium has a half life of of 12.3 years. So if you had 2 atoms of tritium then after 12.3 year you would expect to have 1 atom of tritium and 1 atom of h-3. My question is, is it possible that tritium could decay in 1 second? Or how about 1 eon? I know its not probable but is it...

Such as ##\Sigma^0 \to \bar{\Lambda}\gamma\gamma##. I want to make a complete collection of all these decay modes, i.e. ##X \to \Lambda / \bar{\Lambda} + \cdots##. At least some major channels.

For two-body decay, in the center of mass frame, final particle distribution is, $$ W^*(\cos\theta^*,\phi^*) = \frac{1}{4\pi}(1+\alpha\cos\theta^*) $$ We have the normalization relation , ##\int W^*(\cos\theta^*,\phi^*)d\cos\theta^* d\phi^*=1##. And we also know that in CM frame ##p^*##...