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RuroumiKenshin
What is the importance of atomic decay?
Originally posted by RuroumiKenshin
I know it has something to do with the strong force/weak force but what does it do on its own (that is to say, what does it help with, not what causes it).
Huh? You're not suggesting that a light bulb is radioactive, are you?Originally posted by Integral
For starters it is the source of light.
Integral: For starters it is the source of light.
Russ: Huh? You're not suggesting that a light bulb is radioactive, are you?
So is it a typo? "...it is *A* source of light"?Originally posted by Tom
No, he's not. Atoms emit light after deexcitation.
So is it a typo? "...it is *A* source of light"?
Originally posted by Integral
No it is the ONLY source of light,
Originally posted by Integral
Is this visible spectrum "light" I thought Brehmsstrahlung radiation was x-ray, it was my impression that the energy range for visible light was electrionic in nature.
Do I need to specify light as that electromagnetic radition in the 400nm - 700nm range.
I forgot to mention that you can get visible light from nuclear fusion. There are certainly no atoms in the sun; all the electrons are dissociated from nuclei
Originally posted by Integral
Is the light* we see directly from the fusion process, or a by product due to electron shell interactions in the photosphere of the sun, where atoms do exist?
I generally dislike unqualified statements such as my "Only source of light". Due to Toms objections, let me change that to "Primary source of light"
I think that if we can agree to call "light" the visible spectrum even Tom will not argue with this statement. :)
Originally posted by Tom
Under high temperature/pressure conditions such as in the sun, reverse beta decay becomes energetically favored (over beta decay).
Originally posted by LW Sleeth
Is the on-going process of photon emission due to electrons jumping between orbitals really atomic decay? I thought that was just a temporary situation, whereas "decay" seems to indicate an actual loss of integrity of an atom's structure.
Originally posted by LW Sleeth
It interests me that pressure causes reverse entropy (is that a proper interpretation?).
I am curious, is the pressure convergent?
Originally posted by Tom
No, reverse beta decay has nothing to do with reverse entropy. Entropy is a macroscopic thermodynamics quantity. Talking about the "entropy" of a fusion reaction is like talking about the "temperature" of such a reaction: it makes no sense, because these quantities are averages over a large number of particles. If wuli reads this post, he will jump at the chance to bring up the sorites paradox, because that's what we have here (How many particles do you need for temperature to be meaningful?).
Originally posted by Tom
What does that mean?
Originally posted by LW Sleeth
Yes, the only way I can talk about it is macroscopically, so I hope you will bear with me. I interpreted beta decay as entropic because there is a loss of organization. So, reverse beta decay I assumed was anti-entropic.
I have read that a fusion bomb is created by implosion where force is uniformly applied from all directons. I thought I read this is how helium is created out of hydrogen as well . . . the pressure is applied from all sides to force the fusion of nuclei.
Originally posted by Tom
Oh, I see. You thought I meant:
p+e-+ν-bar-->n
when I actually meant:
p-->n+e++ν
which is also called beta-plus decay. As you can see, there are the same number of particles in the initial and final states in both beta decay and beta-plus decay.
Nope. The Sun glows the way it does simply because it's hot. It doesn't make a bit of difference what the mechanism is that keeps it hot -- the release of gravitational potential energy, fusion, etc. as energy sources would all result in the Sun looking the same, if its surface temperature remained 5700K. The dominant process for producing visible light is thermal free-free emission. You said it yourself -- the gammas and fusion products bounce around on random walks. The electrons in the plasma are very good at absorbing and re-emitting this energy. The light that actually escapes the photosphere is essentially just blackbody radiation from a 5700K body. Of course, it has all sorts of prominent emission and absorption line features from the gas external to the photosphere, but it's essentially just a good ol' blackbody.Like I said, I do not know which processes are most directly responsible for the light we see from the sun. I always thought it was fusion
I have read that a fusion bomb is created by implosion where force is uniformly applied from all directons. I thought I read this is how helium is created out of hydrogen as well . . . the pressure is applied from all sides to force the fusion of nuclei. [/B]
Originally posted by Tyger
implosion is used to trigger the fission device which ignites the fusion process.
Originally posted by Royce
As I understand it , Les, it is both the heat and pressure of the fission device that is required to ignite the fusion device. This is why the tridium is in a sphere inside, at the center, of the plutonium or whatever. This in turn is located inside a sphere of shaped high explosive charges that are all ignited at once. There now we can all rush out into our garages and build a thremonuclear device just like in a Tom Clansy book.
BTW I read somewhere that it is thought that it takes a photon 1000 years or so to reach the surface of the sun from the center.
Atomic decay is a natural process in which an unstable atomic nucleus releases energy and particles in order to become more stable. This can occur through various types of decay, such as alpha, beta, or gamma decay.
Atomic decay is important for several reasons. Firstly, it is responsible for the formation of elements in the universe through nucleosynthesis. It also plays a crucial role in nuclear power generation and nuclear medicine. Additionally, the study of atomic decay helps us better understand the fundamental properties of matter and the structure of the universe.
The rate of atomic decay is measured using a unit called half-life, which is the amount of time it takes for half of a sample of a radioactive substance to decay. This measurement is important in determining the stability and potential hazards of radioactive materials.
Atomic decay has numerous applications in various fields. In nuclear power plants, it is used to generate electricity. In medical imaging and cancer treatment, radioactive isotopes are used to diagnose and destroy cancer cells. It is also used in carbon dating to determine the age of organic materials.
While atomic decay has many beneficial applications, it can also have negative impacts on the environment. Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and other industries must be carefully managed to prevent harm to living organisms and ecosystems. Accidents or improper disposal of radioactive materials can also lead to contamination and environmental damage.