Tagged Questions
8
votes
4answers
176 views
Why are alpha particles such a prominent form of radiation and not other types of nucleon arrangement?
It is said in many textbooks that alpha decay involves emitting alpha particles, which are very stable. Indeed, the binding energy (~28.3 MeV) is higher than for $Z$-neighboring stable isotopes. But ...
6
votes
4answers
593 views
Can you speed up radioactive decay of plutonium?
We all know the issue of deep geological repositories for fuel rods. Is there a way to speed up the rod's decay to render them harmless in less than 10 years?
0
votes
1answer
224 views
How is tritium illumination possible without negative health effects?
Turns out there's tritium illumination - a tiny very strong plastic tube will be covered in phosphor and filled with tritium. Tritium will undergo beta decay and a flow of electrons will cause the ...
5
votes
3answers
321 views
What is happening over the 15 minutes it takes a neutron to decay?
I've read that free neutrons decay into a proton, electron and neutrino with an average lifespan of about 15 minutes. Is there anything physically different about a neutron that has existed for 14 ...
4
votes
2answers
168 views
Is there a direct relationship between an isotope's neutron count and radioactivity?
In my textbook, it lists isotopes of Carbon: C-12, C-13, and C-14. It noted that C-14 is radioactive (C-12 and C-13 are not).
Is there a direct relationship between the number of neutrons and an ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
Why are alpha particles made of 2 protons and neutrons?
When experiencing alpha decay, atoms shed alpha particles made of 2 protons and 2 neutrons. Why can't we have other types of particles made of more or less protons?
2
votes
2answers
913 views
How to calculate gamma radiation shielding?
A device emits 0.2 μSv/h of gamma rays. How thick does an aluminum sheet need to be to completely stop radiation from coming out ? What equation is to be used to calculate this ?
0
votes
0answers
49 views
Problem on nuclear physics radioactivity [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do we know that C14 decay is exponential and not linear?
Please help me solving this problem.
Find the half life period of uranium-238,if one gram of it emits ...
0
votes
0answers
43 views
radioactive decay in molecular constituents [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What happens to chemical compunds that include radioactive nuclei, when those decay?
Suppose a radioactive atom, which is incorporated in a molecule, decays? What ...
5
votes
2answers
511 views
What other shielding material than lead is effective against gamma rays?
As the question in the title states I am wondering what material can be effectively used to shield gamma rays apart from lead? I believe concrete is often used, but it is nowhere near as effective as ...
1
vote
2answers
317 views
Nuclear decay rate affected by sun and quantum randomness
If nuclear decay rate were affected by sun,
then emission probabilities would be subject to sun state and its influence,
so quantum randomness would depend on it,
Would it still be truly random?
One ...
5
votes
3answers
240 views
Is there a way to decrease the rate of nuclear Beta decay?
In that question and its answers it was mentioned that you could trigger radioactive decay by bombarding atoms with gamma rays of the right energy level (there may be other solutions I do not know ...
9
votes
6answers
779 views
Is there any thing other than time that “triggers” a radioactive atom to decay?
Say you have a vial of tritium and monitor their atomic decay with a geiger counter. How does an atom "know" when it's time to decay? It seems odd that all the tritium atoms are identical except with ...
