Beta Radiation: Quark Transformation & Charge Change

[StanEvans]

my understanding of beta radiation is that an up quark in a proton changes to a down quark, forming a neutron and emitting an electron as the result of the change in charge.
My questions are,
1. Why does the quark change?
2. How does it change and how does it change charge?

 

[Nugatory]

My questions are,
1. Why does the quark change?
2. How does it change and how does it change charge?

We don't know.
Quantum mechanics predicts the probability of interactions like this one, but it doesn't provide a detailed picture of what's happening during the interaction.

 

[BvU]

Hello Stan,

Just to make sure: you now have a correct answer from Nugatory, but was that what you wanted to know or could you be helped with a more down-to Earth answer in the category: beta decay happens because it's energetically favorable ?

 

[StanEvans]

Hello Stan,

Just to make sure: you now have a correct answer from Nugatory, but was that what you wanted to know or could you be helped with a more down-to Earth answer in the category: beta decay happens because it's energetically favorable ?

Why would it be more energetically favourable?

 

[StanEvans]

We don't know.
Quantum mechanics predicts the probability of interactions like this one, but it doesn't provide a detailed picture of what's happening during the interaction.

Ok thank you for helping

 

[Nugatory]

Why would it be more energetically favourable?

The decay you are describing (proton to neutron) is actually an anti-beta decay - it emits a positron instead of an electron. You can see this just by considering charge conservation; the particles going in have a net charge of +1 so the particles coming out must also have that charge.

This process happens in a nucleus that is proton-rich, meaning that it takes more energy to hold the nucleus together than it would if it had one more neutron and one fewer proton. Thus, if a proton were to be converted into a neutron, energy would be released. If the amount of energy released is greater than the amount of energy required to create a positron plus the amount of energy required to turn a proton into a neutron we say that the reaction is "energetically favorable" - it can happen without violating conservation of energy or requiring us to add energy to the system.

Generally if a reaction is energetically favorable it will happen eventually.

 

[StanEvans]

The decay you are describing (proton to neutron) is actually an anti-beta decay - it emits a positron instead of an electron. You can see this just by considering charge conservation; the particles going in have a net charge of +1 so the particles coming out must also have that charge.

This process happens in a nucleus that is proton-rich, meaning that it takes more energy to hold the nucleus together than it would if it had one more neutron and one fewer proton. Thus, if a proton were to be converted into a neutron, energy would be released. If the amount of energy released is greater than the amount of energy required to create a positron plus the amount of energy required to turn a proton into a neutron we say that the reaction is "energetically favorable" - it can happen without violating conservation of energy or requiring us to add energy to the system.

Generally if a reaction is energetically favorable it will happen eventually.

Ok thank you that helps alot

 

[jtbell]

Generally if a reaction is energetically favorable

and violates no other conservation laws (charge, baryon number, lepton number...)

it will happen eventually.