B What is the Hamiltonian operator for a decaying Carbon-14 atom?

[Joshua L]

Hey, here's a quick question:

What is the Hamiltonian operator corresponding to a decaying Carbon-14 atom.

Any insight is quite appreciated!

 

[drvrm]

what type of decay ? if its fermi decay ( beta decay) take H(i to f) !

 

[Joshua L]

Yes, it's beta decay. But, unfortunately, I haven't taken any quantum mechanics courses yet. I know the concept and some general examples of the Hamiltonian, but I do not know what "take H(i to f)" means.

 

[drvrm]

But, unfortunately, I haven't taken any quantum mechanics courses yet.

But a qualitative understanding of Mechanism of decay has to be made up;

The beta decay is a radioactive decay in which a proton in a nucleus is converted into a neutron (or vice-versa).

In the process the nucleus emits a beta particle (either an electron or a positron) and quasi-massless particle, the neutrino.
The properties of beta decay can be understood by studying its quantum-mechanical description via Fermi’s Golden rule,

as done for gamma decay. 2π |� | W = ψ Vˆ h |ψ | 2 f i� ρ(Ef ) After all, we are familiar with charged particles that produce (create) an e.m. field. However in QM photons are also particles, and by analogy we can have also creation of other types of particles, such as the electron and the neutrino.
see details
Page 101-<http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/nuclear-engineering/22-02-introduction-to-applied-nuclear-physics-spring-2012/lecture-notes/MIT22>
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ch374/ch418518/Chapter 8 Beta Decay-rev.pdf

 

[Zacarias Nason]

Your first link appears to have been cut short, I can only assume you were trying to link this: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/nuclear-...ring-2012/lecture-notes/MIT22_02S12_lec22.pdf

 

[drvrm]

our first link appears to have been cut short,

you can see the reference for Hamiltonian of these dacys;

http://microboone-docdb.fnal.gov/cg...953;filename=FermiBetaDecay1934.pdf;version=1