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alpha decay |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.02 sec. |
alpha decayType of radioactive disintegration (see radioactivity) in which some unstable atomic nuclei dissipate excess energy by spontaneously ejecting an alpha particle. Alpha particles have two positive charges and a mass of four atomic mass units; they are identical to helium nuclei. Though they are emitted at speeds about one-tenth that of light, they are not very penetrating and have ranges in air of about 1–4 in. (2.5–10 cm). Alpha decay commonly occurs in elements with atomic numbers greater than 83 (bismuth), but can occur in some rare-earth elements in the atomic-number range of 60 (neodymium) to 71 (lutetium). Alpha decay half-lives range from about a microsecond (10−6 second) to billions of years (1017 seconds). alpha decay [′al·fə di′kā] (nuclear physics) A radioactive transformation in which an alpha particle is emitted by a nuclide. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | ||
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| Their blood level initially decays
relatively rapidly, representing the alpha decay period (Flesch-Janys et
al. During a routine check for contamination in their bolometers, which
happen to be built around crystals containing bismuth, the team noticed
an unexpected alpha decay not listed in any reference tables. Some of the unique VIPER(TM) algorithms available through EARN(TM)
include VIEESP, a statistical prediction algorithm which employs a
short-term, predictive model that formulates expectations of the price
and volume of a stock in the next one to three minutes, and INLINE, a
mode which works best for stocks with high alpha decay, that
participates at a higher percentage of non-block volume by being less
patient for strong trade signals. |
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