Can 41Ca Decay to 40K through Proton Removal in Certain Situations?

  • I
  • Thread starter ProjectFringe
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Decay
In summary: And lastly, is there any way possible then, that instead of 41Ca+ decaying to 40K and H+, that 41Ca+ can decay to 41K through electron capture, and then 41K can decay to 40K and a neutron through neutron emission.41Ca+ > 41K > 40K + NeutronNo, this is not possible. 41K is a stable isotope and cannot undergo further decay. The only possible decay for 41Ca+ is through electron capture.
  • #1
ProjectFringe
96
10
As I understand 41Ca usually decays to 41K through electron capture. However, if given a situation like the following:

41Ca+H+N=NK:

where 41Ca+ only has one electron, and that electron is bounded to a nitrogen atom (essentially making 41Ca+2), is electron capture still the best option for decay? In this situation electron capture would cause an undesirable number of electrons for the 41Ca+ and unbalance the compound.

So, assuming there are no other atoms to react with apart from what is listed in this compound, what is the most likely method of decay? Is it possible for 41Ca+ to remove a proton instead (decaying to 40K and H+), creating the compound below?

H+KN=NKH+
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Calcium has 20 electrons as neutral atom, a Ca+ ion still has 19. In particular, it still has all the inner s electrons which are most likely to be used for electron capture. The chemistry of the outer electrons is irrelevant for its nuclear decays. The molecule will change or break apart after a radioactive decay but that's a completely separate question.

Proton emission is a very rare decay process in general and it cannot happen with Ca-41.
 
  • Informative
Likes ProjectFringe
  • #3
mfb said:
Calcium has 20 electrons as neutral atom, a Ca+ ion still has 19. In particular, it still has all the inner s electrons which are most likely to be used for electron capture. The chemistry of the outer electrons is irrelevant for its nuclear decays. The molecule will change or break apart after a radioactive decay but that's a completely separate question.

Proton emission is a very rare decay process in general and it cannot happen with Ca-41.
Thanks!:biggrin:

I have two questions regarding your response:

1. Is electron capture still the most likely method of decay for 41Ca+2 as well?

2. Can proton emission occur in beta decay from 40K to 40Ca?
 
  • #4
ProjectFringe said:
Thanks!:biggrin:

I have two questions regarding your response:

1. Is electron capture still the most likely method of decay for 41Ca+2 as well?
Not only most likely but the only.
Found the decay energy of Ca-41. It is quoted as 421 keV
http://www.nucleide.org/DDEP_WG/Nuclides/Ca-41_tables.pdf
This means that there is no alternative to electron capture - positron emission would require 1018 keV.
Ca ions up to 41Ca+19 still undergo electron capture, just with longer halflives and lower decay energy. 41Ca+20 is stable, having no electron to capture and not enough energy to emit a positron.
ProjectFringe said:
2. Can proton emission occur in beta decay from 40K to 40Ca?
No. For one, it would result in 39Ar, not 40Ca. For another, not nearly enough energy. Proton emission requires over 5 MeV energy normally.
 
  • Informative
Likes ProjectFringe
  • #5
snorkack said:
Not only most likely but the only.
Found the decay energy of Ca-41. It is quoted as 421 keV
http://www.nucleide.org/DDEP_WG/Nuclides/Ca-41_tables.pdf
This means that there is no alternative to electron capture - positron emission would require 1018 keV.
Ca ions up to 41Ca+19 still undergo electron capture, just with longer halflives and lower decay energy. 41Ca+20 is stable, having no electron to capture and not enough energy to emit a positron.

No. For one, it would result in 39Ar, not 40Ca. For another, not nearly enough energy. Proton emission requires over 5 MeV energy normally.
Thanks for your response! Now I have more questions :wideeyed:

When you talk about the energy being released, is it the amount of energy that is being released upon decay of one atom of the element?

If it is, then does the quantity of atoms affect how much energy is available?

And is the energy being constantly released throughout the whole decay process of the atom, or just at the end?
 
  • #6
ProjectFringe said:
When you talk about the energy being released, is it the amount of energy that is being released upon decay of one atom of the element?
Yes.
ProjectFringe said:
If it is, then does the quantity of atoms affect how much energy is available?
No, because each nucleus is independent of others.
ProjectFringe said:
And is the energy being constantly released throughout the whole decay process of the atom, or just at the end?
The decay process doesn't have a duration for all practical purposes. It's instantaneous. The energy is released at the time of the decay.
 
  • Informative
Likes ProjectFringe
  • #7
1. So where does the energy go when it is released during decay? Is it confined to the nucleus of the atom?

2. Also if the nucleus of an atom is going through multiple decays simultaneously, is there a possibility that the energy produced could be compounded in some way?

3. Lastly, is there any way possible then, that instead of 41Ca+ decaying to 40K and H+, that 41Ca+ can decay to 41K through electron capture, and then 41K can decay to 40K and a neutron through neutron emission.

41Ca+ > 41K > 40K + Neutron

And I really mean is there ANY way for 41K to decay to 40K through neutron emission? I tired to look it up, but it was quite confusing o_O
 
Last edited:
  • #8
ProjectFringe said:
So where does the energy go when it is released during decay?
Kinetic energy of the decay products, sometimes photons, sometimes excited states of the nucleus, sometimes some energy is transferred to electrons in the atom.
ProjectFringe said:
And if the nucleus of an atom is going through multiple decays simultaneously
It's not.

None of the nuclei you discuss here can decay via neutron or proton emissions. They are too close to the stable nuclei.
 
  • #9
mfb said:
The decay process doesn't have a duration for all practical purposes. It's instantaneous. The energy is released at the time of the decay.

How does an atom of 41Ca, for example, go through decay (electron capture)? I was under the impression that energy was required for the decay to occur, but it sounds like energy is just being produced as a result of the decay. Is that correct?
 
  • #10
ProjectFringe said:
Also if the nucleus of an atom is going through multiple decays simultaneously, is there a possibility that the energy produced could be compounded in some way?

Sorry not simultaneously. I meant in succession, like 116Pd > 116Ag > 116Cd > 116Sn. :sorry:
 
  • #12
Electron capture of Ca-41 releases energy. It doesn't need energy. If a process would need energy then it cannot happen as decay, as energy is conserved.
ProjectFringe said:
Sorry not simultaneously. I meant in succession, like 116Pd > 116Ag > 116Cd > 116Sn. :sorry:
These are independent decays and you can study each one individually.
 
  • Informative
Likes ProjectFringe
  • #13
ProjectFringe said:
How does an atom of 41Ca, for example, go through decay (electron capture)? I was under the impression that energy was required for the decay to occur, but it sounds like energy is just being produced as a result of the decay. Is that correct?
That's right. The binding energy of 41Ca is smaller than that of 41K (takes more energy to pull 41K apart into its constituent particles), meaning that it is energetically favorable for 41Ca to undergo decay into 41K. This process releases energy.

You can see this in the difference in the mass of the two:
41Ca : 40.962278 Da
41K : 40.961825 Da

This is a difference of about 0.000453 Da, or 421,967 eV, which is given off as energy during the decay process. Note that rounding errors abound in my calculation, which is why my number doesn't exactly match the one published.
 
  • Informative
Likes ProjectFringe
  • #14
Got it! Thanks everyone for your help and patience!:biggrin:
 
  • #15
Neutron emission with beta decay is a common and very important process. This is why nuclear reactors are ever possible.
However, K-40 is nowhere near decaying this way
The beta active isotopes of K start:
  1. K-40 1250 million years
  2. (K-41 stable)
  3. K-42 12 h
  4. K-43 22 h
  5. K-44 22 min
  6. K-45 17 min
  7. K-46 2 min
  8. K-47 17 s
  9. K-48 7 s beta and n
I could not look up the exact decay energyes, but K-40 has nowhere near enough energy to emit a neutron. Even K-47 does not have quite enough.
 
  • Informative
Likes ProjectFringe

1. What is the half-life of 41Ca?

The half-life of 41Ca is approximately 103,000 years.

2. Can 41Ca decay to 40K through beta decay?

No, 41Ca does not undergo beta decay to become 40K. It can only decay through proton removal.

3. How does proton removal lead to the decay of 41Ca to 40K?

In certain situations, a proton can be removed from the nucleus of 41Ca, resulting in a change in the atomic number. This leads to the formation of 40K, which is a stable isotope.

4. Is the decay of 41Ca to 40K a common occurrence?

No, the decay of 41Ca to 40K through proton removal is not a common occurrence. It only happens in specific situations and is not a common form of decay for this isotope.

5. What are the potential applications of studying the decay of 41Ca to 40K?

Studying the decay of 41Ca to 40K can provide insights into the nuclear structure and dynamics of these isotopes. It can also have applications in fields such as geology and archaeology, where the ratio of these isotopes can be used to determine the age of materials.

Similar threads

  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
587
Replies
13
Views
2K
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • Cosmology
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
4K
Back
Top