Can Nuclear Decay Be Controlled?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the theoretical possibility of controlling nuclear decay, specifically whether it can be stimulated to occur on demand rather than randomly. Participants explore implications for managing dangerous fission by-products and the feasibility of such control in nuclear waste management.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether it is theoretically possible to stimulate radioactive nuclei to decay on demand, suggesting potential applications in accelerating the decay of hazardous fission by-products.
  • Others assert that there are few exceptions to controlled decay, citing specific isotopes like dysprosium-163 and rubidium-83, but argue these exceptions are not applicable to nuclear waste management.
  • A participant challenges the definitive 'no' response, asking for empirical proof and questioning the completeness of attempts to explore this possibility.
  • Another participant mentions the concept of electron capture as an exception, explaining that removing electrons can stop decay, while reintroducing them can speed it up.
  • One participant proposes the idea of introducing entangled particles to influence the state of a radioactive atom, suggesting that exploring such approaches could yield informative results.
  • Contrarily, a later reply dismisses the relevance of entanglement to the question of controlling decay.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the feasibility of controlling nuclear decay, with some asserting it is impossible while others propose theoretical possibilities. No consensus is reached on the topic.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the reliance on specific isotopes as exceptions and the unresolved nature of the empirical attempts to control nuclear decay. The discussion also reflects varying interpretations of the role of entanglement in this context.

Recycler
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Is it theoretically possible to stimulate a radioactive nucleus so that it decays on demand instead of randomly?Could this be used to accelerate decay of dangerous fission by-products?
 
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No.

There are few exceptions: some nuclei can decay only if they don't have electrons around them (e. g. dysprosium-163) or do so much faster (e. g. Rhenium-187), and some need electrons around them to decay (e. g. rubidium-83), but those are rare exceptions, and none of them is relevant for nuclear waste.

Transmutation is a working method to get rid of some of the waste, but that is not based on the radioactive decay of the waste.
 
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Your answer is 'no'. Is there some proof of this answer? Empirically, has everything been tried? It would actually be impossible to try everything.
 
discountbrain said:
Your answer is 'no'.

That's not what he said. There are exceptions.
 
Recycler said:
Is it theoretically possible to stimulate a radioactive nucleus so that it decays on demand instead of randomly?Could this be used to accelerate decay of dangerous fission by-products?
Fascinating question. I've wondered the same thing myself.
Thank you for asking.
 
The easiest to understand exception is nuclei that decay via electron capture. Take away the electrons, and the decay stops. Put them back, and it speeds up again.
 
mfb said:
No.

There are few exceptions: some nuclei can decay only if they don't have electrons around them (e. g. dysprosium-163) or do so much faster (e. g. Rhenium-187), and some need electrons around them to decay (e. g. rubidium-83), but those are rare exceptions, and none of them is relevant for nuclear waste.

Transmutation is a working method to get rid of some of the waste, but that is not based on the radioactive decay of the waste.
As an aside.we are seeing in this discussion,
mfb said:
No.

There are few exceptions: some nuclei can decay only if they don't have electrons around them (e. g. dysprosium-163) or do so much faster (e. g. Rhenium-187), and some need electrons around them to decay (e. g. rubidium-83), but those are rare exceptions, and none of them is relevant for nuclear waste.

Transmutation is a working method to get rid of some of the waste, but that is not based on the radioactive decay of the waste.
Thank you.discountbrain says we can't try everything.I agree,however if I knew exactly how,I would like to try introducing entangled particles into the radioactive atom.Could a state change at this point initiate a change in the atom's state?Trying the right things might be very informative.Visualizing the future of the entangled system has been mentioned recently in the literature.
 
Recycler said:
Could a state change at this point initiate a change in the atom's state?
No. And this has nothing to do with entanglement.
 
50v, he did answer 'no'. Clearly, we all know why it would be wonderful to discover how to speed up decay in nuclear waste.
 

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