Decay mode

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In physics, the decay mode describes a particular way a particle decays.

For radioactive decay (the decay of nuclides) the decay modes are:

• alpha decay (emission of a Helium-4 nucleus)
• β⁻ decay (emission of an electron and an antineutrino)
• β⁺ decay (emission of a positron and a neutrino)
  • double beta decay
• electron capture
• proton emission
• neutron emission
• cluster decay (emission heavier than Helium-4)
• spontaneous fission

Typically one decay mode predominates for a particular nuclide. Branching ratios are used when this is not true.

A decay will sometimes leave the nucleus in an excited state. When long lived these states are called isomers. These isomers will typically decay to the ground state of the nuclide, but unlike the radioactive decays above these isomeric transitions do not change one nuclide into others. These decays are:

• Gamma emission (emission of a high-energy photon)
• Internal conversion (ionizing the atom)ar:طريقة اضمحلال

ko:붕괴 방식 it:Modo di decadimento ja:崩壊モード pt:Modo de decaimento fi:Radioaktiivinen hajoaminen