25.2 Nuclear decay equations

• Alpha radiation has a charge of +2e a mass of about 4u and typical speed is 10^6.
• Beta-minus radiation has a charge of -e, a mass of 0.0005u and typical speed of 10^8, beta plus has the same but positive charge
• Gamma radiation has charge of 0, mass of 0 and travels at the speed of light, c.
• During alpha decay, a parent nucleus decays into a daughter and releases an alpha particle, or helium nucleus.
• For beta-minus decay, typically the nuclei have to many neutrons for stability, the weak nuclear force is responsible for turning one of the neutrons into a proton. In this process an electron is emitted together with an anti-neutrino
• For beta-plus decay, typically the nuclei have to many protons for stability, the weak nuclear force transforms one of the protons into a neutron, in this process a positron is emitted together with an electron neutrino.
• Gamma photons are emitted when a nucleus has a surplus of energy following an alpha/beta decay.
• Nuclei with more than 82 protons are likely to decay by emitting alpha particles, Nuclei that are proton rich most likely to decay by beta-plus and nuclei that are neutron rich will undergo beta-minus decay.