High School Do temperature and gravity affect particle or nuclear decay?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the effects of temperature and gravity on particle and nuclear decay rates. It is established that while temperature can influence decay rates through time dilation, this effect is negligible at reasonable temperatures. Additionally, gravitational time dilation has a minimal impact on decay rates, with a difference of about 10-13 per kilometer in altitude. Overall, both temperature and gravity do not significantly alter decay rates in practical scenarios.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of nuclear decay processes
  • Familiarity with time dilation concepts in physics
  • Knowledge of gravitational effects on time measurement
  • Basic principles of carbon dating and its assumptions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of time dilation on nuclear decay rates
  • Study the effects of altitude on particle decay in experimental physics
  • Explore advanced concepts in gravitational time dilation
  • Investigate the limitations of carbon dating and other geologic timing methods
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, researchers in nuclear science, and professionals involved in geochronology or radiometric dating techniques.

nitsuj
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I thought of another question(s) :) does temperature affect the rate of the decay at all?
Does temperature effect the energy of the decay; in that the energy of the electron anti neutrino would be higher?
 
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nitsuj said:
I thought of another question(s) :) does temperature affect the rate of the decay at all?
No.
nitsuj said:
Does temperature effect the energy of the decay; in that the energy of the electron anti neutrino would be higher?
If the decaying atom moves fast, the energy distribution of the decay products will look different. It is not a simple shift, it is more complicated.
 
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mfb said:
No
Be careful with the ”at all”. Warmer atoms will decay slower due to time dilation. Of course, this effect is completely negligible at reasonable temperatures.
 
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Orodruin said:
Be careful with the ”at all”. Warmer atoms will decay slower due to time dilation. Of course, this effect is completely negligible at reasonable temperatures.

So altitude from Earth effects the decay too; I remember once making the point regarding carbon dating that we assume the time is linear and comparable. Never thought from that perspective, the (geometric) effects on the decay for this tritium veil.
 
nitsuj said:
So altitude from Earth effects the decay too
Be careful (my favourite words). Locally, there will be no difference whatsoever because your time-dilation will be the same as that of the experiment you are doing.
 
Gravitational time dilation is about 10-13 per kilometer height difference. Something 10 km deep for a billion years would appear a few hours younger than expected. Needless to say that no geologic timing method is remotely close to such a sensitivity.
 
mfb said:
Gravitational time dilation is about 10-13 per kilometer height difference. Something 10 km deep for a billion years would appear a few hours younger than expected. Needless to say that no geologic timing method is remotely close to such a sensitivity.
lol yes, that's assuming the time is linear and comparable.

not sure what a particularly made up case of a small differential and something about sensitivity has to do with it, certainly doesn't mean that the "clocks" were always synchronized.
 
It means gravitational time dilation is completely negligible for determining the age of things on Earth. The same applies to the time dilation from motion.
 

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