Fermi type beta decay is helicity suppressed due to the requirement of a right-handed electron, which is not the primary reason for its suppression; rather, it is the matrix element that causes reduced overlap between nuclear initial and final states. Gamow-Teller beta decay is favored because it allows for a more significant overlap, leading to a higher probability of transition. The discussion highlights that while Fermi transitions have antiparallel spins, the emitted particles can have various angles, affecting the angular distribution differently compared to Gamow-Teller transitions. Understanding the momentum vectors and energy ranges of the electrons produced is crucial for grasping these concepts.
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