Electrons causing nuclear decay

[omiros]

Hello everybody, I am a first year and I have one more question.

To what degree do electron contribute to nuclear decay?

(Do electron which can 'spend' some time in the nucleus cause bigger decay?)

Thanks in advance :)

 

[Bill_K]

Omiros, What the heck, you just posted a thread on this very same topic two days ago.

 

[omiros]

Omiros, What the heck, you just posted a thread on this very same topic two days ago.

Hahaha that one was about beta minus decay. This about bound electrons causing a decay. Not the products of it :)

 

[Bill_K]

Hahaha that one was about beta minus decay. This about bound electrons causing a decay. Not the products of it :)

Well I answered this question in the previous thread, so here is my answer again.

A more interesting example of the interplay between nuclear decay and the atomic electrons is an alternative decay mode to beta plus decay called electron capture or K-capture, in which the nucleus grabs an atomic electron. Since this electron is taken from a low-lying shell, the atom needs to fill the hole, by emitting an X-ray, or sometimes a second ("Auger") electron.

 

[omiros]

Well I answered this question in the previous thread, so here is my answer again.

I really did understand something completely different. Probably I was thinking other stuff, so I adapted these words into what I wanted to understand. Thanks again though.