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  2. Particle decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_decay

    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.

  3. Radioactive decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_decay

    Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay.

  4. Alpha decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_decay

    Alpha decay or α-decay is a type of radioactive decay in which an atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle (helium nucleus) and thereby transforms or "decays" into a different atomic nucleus, with a mass number that is reduced by four and an atomic number that is reduced by two.

  5. Decay chain - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_chain

    Of these decay processes, only alpha decay (fission of a helium-4 nucleus) changes the atomic mass number (A) of the nucleus, and always decreases it by four. Because of this, almost any decay will result in a nucleus whose atomic mass number has the same residue mod 4. This divides the list of nuclides into four classes.

  6. Beta decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_decay

    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.

  7. Standard Model - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Model

    The weak interaction is responsible for various forms of particle decay, such as beta decay. It is weak and short-range, due to the fact that the weak mediating particles, W and Z bosons, have mass. W bosons have electric charge and mediate interactions that change the particle type (referred to as flavor) and charge.

  8. Proton decay - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_decay

    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.

  9. Weak interaction - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weak_interaction

    In contrast, a charged pion can only decay through the weak interaction, and so lives about 10 −8 seconds, or a hundred million times longer than a neutral pion. [10] (p30) A particularly extreme example is the weak-force decay of a free neutron, which takes about 15 minutes. [10] (p28)