Neutron decay Definition and 20 Threads

Does neutron decay outside of the nucleus occur faster, slower, or at the same speed when the environment it is in is near absolute zero? Do any external factors affect the speed of a neutron decaying?

Hi, I have questions on the neutron decay What prevent the neutron to decay in udc or udt except mass/energy consideration ? If we do the assumption that (udc) and (udt) have the same mass than the proton (yes I know, this doesn't make sense) the three decay (p, udc, udt) woulld have the same...

I wish to draw the proton momentum spectrum by transforming the energy spectrum of recoil protons. I have calculated the energy spectrum using Nachtmann's spectrum: wp=g1[T]+a*g2[T] Where: g1[T]=(1 - x2/σ[T])2 * Sqrt[1 - σ[T]] * (4*(1 + x2/σ[T]) - (4/3*(σ[T] - x2)/σ[T])*(1 - σ[T])); g2[T]=(1 -...

Can anyone tell me what is proton emission equation after muon capture for heavy nuclei?is it same with neutron emission equation??

Reading this article - http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/particles/proton.html#c4 there is a statement - "A free neutron will decay with a half-life of about 10.3 minutes but it is stable if combined into a nucleus." So is it only free neutrons that decay into protons? In...

Has anyone analyzed the process of Neutron formation and decay from the perspective of "information conservation"? Does anyone have any thoughts on what the results of such an analysis would be? What is the status of the observed evidence of reality in respect of whether one should conclude...

Hi, I was reading about free neutron beta decay the other day and it came to me the idea of neutron stars. As I understand, neutron stars are held together by gravity instead of strong force interaction (which I think is the mechanism that gives stability to neutron in common nuclei). So one...

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...

On decays I have only a preliminary understanding. I was looking up the half life of a neutron for another reason. The value I found for neutron decay for a free neutron was 10.3 seconds. Hope that's reasonably accurate. Anyways knowing that neutrons are stable in a nucleus held together...

In the early universe electrons and protons would combine to form neutrons and few, if any, protons would remain. If the mass difference were greater than the binding energies of nuclei, neutrons inside nuclei would decay leaving no nuclei behind. Does anyone know why the above...

I believe the neutron decays with a half life around 12 minutes via the weak mechanism. I'm wondering what causes a particular neutron to decay. At the moment the neutron decays, has it encountered (run into) a stray weak field? Or ... does the neutron decay just because of internal forces...

How do we calculate the decay width or the mean lifetime of neutron/

Hi, here's the problem: "a neutron at rest decays into a proton with a decay energy of 0.78MeV. What is the maximum kinetic energy of the proton left behind?" here's what I've tried: In this decay, I assumed that although it's not mentioned, there would be something negatively charged...

I was reading a blog where someone stated that the decay of a free neutron is characterized by a 'mean lifetime' but not by a half-life. They went on to indicate that the decay time is not random (in the sense that leads to a true half life) but rather most decay at the mean lifetime (said to...

Suppose the neutron decay time n was 89 sec. AND the difference in rest mass between neutron to proton, Qn, was 0.129 MeV. What would the maximum Helium fraction, Yp, be?

can a neutron decay into a proton? i certainly didnt think so, but i am reading hawking's new little book "breifer history of time", and he states that in there while talking about the early universe. thanks.

This is one of those old-high school questions that never got answered (And the search mechanism here doesn't narrow on quotemarks)-- A neutron decays to a proton, electron, antineutrino ... But the highspeed escaping electron is a charge moving relative to (away from) the proton opposite...

A neutron can decay into a proton, a positron, and a neutrino. A proton is made up of two up quarks and a down quark. A neutron is made up of one up quark and two down quarks. An up quark has a charge of +2/3, and a down quark has a charge of -1/3. Given the statements above, can someone...

In ‘Introduction to Elementary Particles’, David Griffiths makes the following two statements: a neutron decays into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino (1.8) And later: but the following decay is not observed an antineutrino plus a neutron decay into a proton and an electron...

A neutron at rest in the laboratory spontaneously decays into a proton, an electron, and a small essentially massless particle called a neutrino. Calculate the kinetic energy of the proton and the electron in each of the following cases: a) the neutrino has no kinetic energy b) the neutrino...