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In particle physics, proton decay is a hypothetical form of particle decay in which the proton decays into lighter subatomic particles, such as a neutral pion and a positron. [1] The proton decay hypothesis was first formulated by Andrei Sakharov in 1967. Despite significant experimental effort, proton decay has never been observed.
Proton emission (also known as proton radioactivity) is a rare type of radioactive decay in which a proton is ejected from a nucleus.Proton emission can occur from high-lying excited states in a nucleus following a beta decay, in which case the process is known as beta-delayed proton emission, or can occur from the ground state (or a low-lying isomer) of very proton-rich nuclei, in which case ...
In particle physics, particle decay is the spontaneous process of one unstable subatomic particle transforming into multiple other particles. The particles created in this process (the final state ) must each be less massive than the original, although the total mass of the system must be conserved.
Internal conversion is an atomic decay process where an excited nucleus interacts electromagnetically with one of the orbital electrons of an atom. This causes the electron to be emitted (ejected) from the atom.
The two types of beta decay are known as beta minus and beta plus.In beta minus (β −) decay, a neutron is converted to a proton, and the process creates an electron and an electron antineutrino; while in beta plus (β +) decay, a proton is converted to a neutron and the process creates a positron and an electron neutrino. β + decay is also known as positron emission.
Beta decay transforms a neutron into proton or vice versa. When a neutron inside a parent nuclide decays to a proton, an electron, a anti-neutrino, and nuclide with high atomic number results. When a proton in a parent nuclide transforms to a neutron, a positron, a neutrino, and nuclide with a lower atomic number results. These changes are a ...
The W bosons are known for their mediation in nuclear decay: The W − converts a neutron into a proton then decays into an electron and electron-antineutrino pair. The Z 0 does not convert particle flavor or charges, but rather changes momentum; it is the only mechanism for elastically scattering neutrinos.
Thus, alpha decay can be considered either a form of particle decay or, less frequently, as a special case of nuclear fission. The timescale for the nuclear strong force is much faster than that of the nuclear weak force or the electromagnetic force , so the lifetime of nuclei past the drip lines are typically on the order of nanoseconds or less.