What happens/takes place in the molybdenum nucleus

[amazingphysics2255]

Homework Statement

What happens/takes place in the molybdenum nucleus as it decays to Technetium-99 when a beta particle is emitted?

Relevant Equations

None used.

This is not so much of a problem as I'm just interested If anyone knows what happens. It does relate to my homework problem tho because I had to write what Molybdenium decays into from beta which is Molybdenum-99/42Technetium-99m/43

 

[Andrew Mason]

One of the neutrons in the Mo-99 nucleus (42 protons + 57 neutrons) expels an electron which results in the neutron becoming a proton. So the nucleus now has 43 protons and 56 neutrons and is now Technetium. What makes this nucleus so unusual is that the nucleus remains in an excited state for a while afterward, called a meta-stable state. This excited Technetium daughter nucleus is designated Tc-99m (the m signifying the meta-stable energy state). The Tc-99m nucleus will then decay by releasing a gamma ray photon (Tc-99m has a half-life of about 6 hours) and become fairly stable Tc-99 (half-life of over 210,000 years).

AM