Conservation of angular momentum in nuclear physics

[burgjeff]

Say a uranium-238 nucleus with angular momentum I_I decays to thorium-234 plus an alpha particle. Will the sum of the angular momenta of the thorium-234 nucleus and the alpha particle equal I_I? What if a photon was emitted during this process, would I_thorium+I_α+hbar=I_I?

thanks

 

[mfb]

The relative motion of the nuclei can carry angular momentum, so the result can be different.

 

[dauto]

To clarify mfb's point, orbital angular momentum must be included when applying angular momentum conservation. But yes, angular momentum is definitely always conserved.