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Questions tagged [electron-capture]

Electron capture refers to the a form of Radioactive decay where a Proton inside a Nucleus merges with on the the Nucleus's electrons to form a Neutron, while giving of an Electron Neutrino.

When to Use The Tag

Use the tag [tag:Electron capture] when asking about isotopes that decay via Electron Capture, or asking questions about the process of elecron capture itself. Questions involving Characteristic X-rays may benefit from including this tag. Questions including this tag may also include the tags or .

Question decays that involve the emission of positrons should be tagged differently.

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Has anyone ever demonstrated nuclear electron capture with electrons from a beam?

Electron capture is a method of nuclear decay. It is only really common in elements where the the $Z'=Z-1$ element has a lower mass, but the difference is less than the mass of the positron. One of the atoms' electrons is captured into the nucleus,…
AXensen
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Possible electron capture decay of $^{148}\mathrm{Gd}$?

While the nuclide $^{148}\mathrm{Gd}$ is only known to undergo $\alpha$ decay, with a half-life of $86.9$ years, I noticed that it has higher energy than its isobar $^{148}\mathrm{Eu}$: $m_{^{148}\mathrm{Gd}}=147.9181214(16)\,\mathrm{amu}$,…
Jianing Song
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Why do some nuclei decay exclusively via positron emission rather than electron capture?

The processes of electron capture and $\beta^+$ decay both involve a transition from a parent nuclide ${}^A_{Z} X$ to a daughter nuclide ${}^A_{Z-1} X$. It is well known (see, for example, this question and this question) that if the mass…
Michael Seifert
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White dwarf stars: limits to stability

The Chandrasekhar mass limit $M_\text{Ch}$ for a cold, non-rotating white dwarf star is derived from the hydrostatic equilibrium assuming Newtonian gravity and a Lane-Emden polytrope with n=3. However, $M_\text{Ch}$ is not a realistic limit because…
gamma1954
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Question about electron capture and mass difference in the decay

I’m a radiation oncologist resident, and physics is part of my daily studies. Recently, while studying electron capture, I came across the following passage on Wikipedia: "Around the elements in the middle of the periodic table, isotopes that are…
Jessica D'Almeida
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What does it mean for the electron to be absorbed in electron capture?

In electron capture, when looking at the Feynmann diagram, I'd interpret the interaction as the electron emitting a W boson which interacts with the proton and turning into a neutrino. However, as the W boson is a virtual particle, there would be no…
Flamethrower
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Is electron capture the exchange of a virtual $W$-boson?

Betaplus: an upquark emits a $W^+$-boson which turns it into a downquark and then decays into a positron and electron neutrino. Electron capture: an upquark emits a $W^+$-boson which is absorbed by a shell-electron, turning both the upquark into a…
Faalkar
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