Orodruin said:Matterwave: The most likely time of decay is at t=0 since the decay time for a single nucleus follows an exponential distribution. This is reflected in the fact that if you take a lot of tritium the decay rate will be largest in the beginning (simply due to each tritium atom having a fixed probability of decay per time unit). Of course, this still does not change the fact that the mean life time is non-zero, or that you will have very close to half of the nuclei left after a time equal to the half-life has passed - which follows directly from the central limit theorem.
Actually they have been discovered. Which means the answer to the OP is that nuclear half lives have a random component of nearly 100%.Duplex said:If a weak nonrandom variation in half-life existed, it should certainly already have been discovered. I think that only on that basis physicists would try to figure out how to accelerate or "freeze" half-life.
Nuclear decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation or particles. This can result in the formation of a different nucleus or a different energy state of the same nucleus.
Yes, nuclear decay is considered to be a random process. The exact timing of when a particular nucleus will undergo decay cannot be predicted, as it is influenced by quantum mechanics and probability.
Scientists use a variety of techniques and instruments, such as particle accelerators and radiation detectors, to study nuclear decay. They also analyze the products of nuclear decay, such as different nuclei or particles, to understand the process better.
No, nuclear decay cannot be controlled or manipulated. It is a natural process that occurs spontaneously and cannot be influenced by external factors.
There are three main types of nuclear decay: alpha decay, beta decay, and gamma decay. Each type involves the emission of different particles or radiation from an unstable nucleus.