Difference between revisions of "2860: Decay Modes"
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| − | Title text: The Iron Age and Bronze Age 'collapsed' – underwent widespread societal disruption and dispersal – because of various extrinsic factors: proposals include climatic change, mass migration and invasions. Nuclear fusion – the merging of small light elements – expels energy, powering stars and and creating increasingly heavier elements which also fuse until the process reaches iron, predominantly <sup>56</sup>Fe. Fusing iron nucleii does not release energy, so the previous cycle of fusion abruptly stops and the star contracts under gravity (whereupon it can now create the different conditions from which small amounts of heavier nuclei ''do'' form, and disperse to be discovered in later star systems). In contrast, nuclear fission – where atoms spontaneously split into lighter elements, releasing the energy ultimately imbued into them during their synthesis – applies increasingly so to the more heavy nucleii with increasing instabilities as they 'collapse' out into their various fission products. The atomic components of bronze, {{w|tin}} and {{w|copper}}, ''could'' potentially release energy, in the right conditions. Tin's main isotopes (<sup>114</sup>Sn across to <sup>124</sup>Sn, with more than two thirds being of weight 116, 118 or 120) are considered stable, as are the two for copper (<sup>63</sup>Cu and <sup>65</sup>Cu, being practically all that is naturally present), but trace/synthesised isotopes beyond that range (e.g. actively induced by initiating a neutron bombardment) are known to, eventually, beta(±) decay/'collapse' to forms of | + | Title text: The Iron Age and Bronze Age 'collapsed' – underwent widespread societal disruption and dispersal – because of various extrinsic factors: proposals include climatic change, mass migration and invasions. Nuclear fusion – the merging of small light elements – expels energy, powering stars and and creating increasingly heavier elements which also fuse until the process reaches iron, predominantly <sup>56</sup>Fe. Fusing iron nucleii does not release energy, so the previous cycle of fusion abruptly stops and the star contracts under gravity (whereupon it can now create the different conditions from which small amounts of heavier nuclei ''do'' form, and disperse to be discovered in later star systems). In contrast, nuclear fission – where atoms spontaneously split into lighter elements, releasing the energy ultimately imbued into them during their synthesis – applies increasingly so to the more heavy nucleii with increasing instabilities as they 'collapse' out into their various fission products. The atomic components of bronze, {{w|tin}} and {{w|copper}}, ''could'' potentially release energy, in the right conditions. Tin's main isotopes (<sup>114</sup>Sn across to <sup>124</sup>Sn, with more than two thirds being of weight 116, 118 or 120) are considered stable, as are the two for copper (<sup>63</sup>Cu and <sup>65</sup>Cu, being practically all that is naturally present), but trace/synthesised isotopes beyond that range (e.g. actively induced by initiating a neutron bombardment) are known to, eventually, beta(±) decay/'collapse' to forms of antimony (from the tin) or nickel/zinc (from the copper). |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
Revision as of 14:45, 28 November 2023
| Decay Modes |
 Title text: Unlike an Iron Age collapse, a Bronze Age collapse releases energy, since copper and tin are past the iron peak on the curve of binding energy. |
Explanation
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This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by an EXTANT MODE OF DECAY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Title text not explained. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks. |
In the comic's diagram, protons are white and neutrons are gray.
The first six modes are real, and most occur relatively frequently:
In alpha decay, an unstable nucleus emits an alpha particle, composed of two protons and two neutrons. Alpha decay is the primary source of helium on Earth, as alpha particles are 4He nuclei.
In beta decay (more properly beta-minus decay), a neutron-rich nucleus emits a W⁻ boson, converting one neutron into a proton — as shown in the diagram — which in turn decays into an electron (the titular beta (minus) particle) and an electron antineutrino. The diagram shows only the beta particle, which was the only thing expelled from the nucleus that could be observed directly when the types of nuclear decay were first described and enumerated.
In gamma decay, an unstable nucleus (represented by the lumpy, prolate nucleus in the diagram – representing a high-energy nuclear isomer) emits a high-energy photon known as a gamma-ray and settles into a stabler, lower-energy state.
In electron capture, a proton-rich atom slurps an electron from the K or L electron shell. This converts a proton into a neutron and emits an electron neutrino. No 'slurp' sound is actually produced in real electron capture event.[citation needed]
In positron emission, or beta plus decay, a proton-rich nucleus emits a W+ boson, converting one proton into a neutron, which in turn decays into a positron, the beta plus particle, and an electron neutrino. Again, the diagram shows only the beta particle, presumably for simplicity. This is much rarer than beta minus decay.
In neutron emission, a neutron-rich/proton-deficient unstable nucleus emits a neutron (which then goes on to decay into further daughter particles).
The other six modes are fictional:
Baryon panic: In this mode, all the subatomic particles flee the atom simultaneously, similar to a crowd fleeing a building during a fire alarm, or other similar states of panic in people. In reality, this mode of decay would require an incredible amount of energy. The like charges of protons do repel each other, but they are held together more tightly by the residual nuclear force in the presence of neutrons.
Omega decay: The atom has decayed and left behind a skull in its wake, leaving cracks in the area surrounding it and send neutrons and protons flying everywhere. Whereas alpha, beta, gamma are the first three letters of the Greek alphabet, omega is the last, so the name omega might suggest the ultimate, final decay. The skull presumably represents the finality of such a decay, given that the end stage of human decay leaves behind a skeleton, something that does not exist in nucleons.[citation needed] Many works of science fiction propose forms of radiation and/or particles with further letters in the Greek alphabet, such as The Omega Directive in Star Trek. In real life, the omega baryon was predicted to exist by Murray Gell-Mann's early quark theory, and then discovered several years later with the properties he had predicted. This mode may also represent the atom becoming the origin of a false vacuum decay, a theoretical decay of space itself, which would indeed spread outward and be very final and lethal.
Electron wilt: The electrons surrounding the atom fall to the ground. Some plants are subject to diseases that cause this kind of wilting of their leaves. Electrons will attempt to settle into a 'ground state' but this does not involve them literally slumping to the ground, rather they will be as close as possible to the nucleus subject to the limitations of energy levels and the Pauli exclusion principle. In addition, since the ground is made of atoms,[citation needed] the electrons will just keep falling.
One big nucleon: The protons and neutrons combine to form a single huge baryon. Exotic baryons with more than the usual three quarks, such as pentaquarks, have been created in the lab but are not known to exist in nature. String theorists propose that black holes are actually fuzzballs, single "subatomic" particles which are macroscopic in size (namely that of their event horizon) formed by the fusion of the strings of in-falling matter under extreme gravitational conditions.
Fungal decay: The nucleus rots, and fungal fruiting bodies (toadstools and mushrooms) grow around it. This plays on the meaning of "decay".
Collapse due to invasion by the Sea Peoples: The atom floats in water, with boats on either side full of Cueballs shooting arrows at it, and the atom is breaking up. The Sea Peoples are a somewhat mysterious group that attacked Egypt in the late Bronze Age (1200-900 BCE) and are associated with a widespread societal collapse around the central and eastern Mediterranean. Randall has mentioned the Sea Peoples already in cartoon 1732, "Earth Temperature Timeline".
Title text: The Iron Age and Bronze Age 'collapsed' – underwent widespread societal disruption and dispersal – because of various extrinsic factors: proposals include climatic change, mass migration and invasions. Nuclear fusion – the merging of small light elements – expels energy, powering stars and and creating increasingly heavier elements which also fuse until the process reaches iron, predominantly 56Fe. Fusing iron nucleii does not release energy, so the previous cycle of fusion abruptly stops and the star contracts under gravity (whereupon it can now create the different conditions from which small amounts of heavier nuclei do form, and disperse to be discovered in later star systems). In contrast, nuclear fission – where atoms spontaneously split into lighter elements, releasing the energy ultimately imbued into them during their synthesis – applies increasingly so to the more heavy nucleii with increasing instabilities as they 'collapse' out into their various fission products. The atomic components of bronze, tin and copper, could potentially release energy, in the right conditions. Tin's main isotopes (114Sn across to 124Sn, with more than two thirds being of weight 116, 118 or 120) are considered stable, as are the two for copper (63Cu and 65Cu, being practically all that is naturally present), but trace/synthesised isotopes beyond that range (e.g. actively induced by initiating a neutron bombardment) are known to, eventually, beta(±) decay/'collapse' to forms of antimony (from the tin) or nickel/zinc (from the copper).
Transcript
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Omega Decay has a didtinctive Star Trek Voyager vibe, I believe... ;-) https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Omega_molecule 162.158.203.70 23:03, 27 November 2023 (UTC)
- There are a few things Omega could relate to: Rick and Morty Omega Device https://rickandmorty.fandom.com/wiki/Omega_Device, Galaxy Quest Omega 13 Device https://galaxyquest.fandom.com/wiki/The_Omega_13_Device 172.68.126.134 02:46, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
- Omega voyager vibe? Nah, Voyager just used a cool sounding name. They share a root, but this isn't depending on ST:VOY 172.69.195.47 09:09, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
There appears to be an issue- the fungal decay and sea peoples are missing. I don't remember what they were! Help! 162.158.159.226 23:55, 27 November 2023 (UTC)Fizzgigg
"One big nucleon" looks a lot like a planet to me.Nitpicking (talk) 03:02, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
I was rather hoping that bismuth would appear as a product, even if entirely unintentional, but it's far too high up the chain to ever occur from "bronze decay"... 172.70.85.147 14:01, 28 November 2023 (UTC)
Protons shown in white, while the neutrons in black in the comic. Nothing wrong with this but if you visualize it the other way it makes this very confusing. 162.158.62.120 (talk) 19:11, 28 November 2023 (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
The transcript might need some rearranging, because the labels are technically under the diagram? although that might make it confusing. or less confusing.--Mushrooms (talk) 18:01, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
Part of the explanation for alpha decay seems a bit mixed up: "...proton-rich / neutron-deficient heavy nuclei, which normally have many more neutrons than protons." Surely 'proton-rich' means more protons and 'neutron-deficient' means fewer neutrons, so such a nucleus would have many more protons than neutrons, wouldn't it? I hesitate to change the explanation because I'm more of a language expert than particle physicist. 172.68.64.226 00:26, 3 December 2023 (UTC)
- Consider uranium 238, which has 92 protons and 146 neutrons. It decays by alpha radiation to thorium 234: 90 protons and 144 neutrons. In both cases, there are a lot more neutrons than protons, but the ratio of neutrons to protons is higher in the latter because if N > P, N/P < (N-2)/(P-2). Or polonium 210, with 84 protons and 126 neutrons, which decays by alpha (as the last step in the U-238 decay series) to stable lead 206, with 82 protons and 124 neutrons. With sufficient decrease in the number of protons and increase in the N/P ratio, the system becomes stable. All elements have multiple possible isotopes, and as the proton count increases, the number of neutrons needed for stability tends to increase a bit more quickly. If there aren't quite enough neutrons, a common decay mode is alpha, which decreases the proton count and "improves" the ratio. If the number of neutrons is a bit too high for stability, the most common decay mode is beta, increasing the number of protons and decreasing the number of neutrons, again "improving" the ratio. This is a gross oversimplification, of course. BunsenH (talk) 05:44, 3 December 2023 (UTC)
- I read "...proton-rich / neutron-deficient heavy nuclei, which normally have many more neutrons than protons." as "This example has more protons and less neutrons than you'd expect for a nucleus of this weight. One with this many nucleons, in total, should consist of a greater proportion of neutrons"... But it does look a bit confusing. Definitely would be open to a rewrite (but not flipping the beginning, which'd only be rightly understood when wrongly comprehended, and vice-versa). 172.70.85.163 13:41, 3 December 2023 (UTC)
New Category: Fake Versions of a Real Thing?
I've noticed a recurring subject in xkcd where the comic lists versions of a real thing, the first of which are real, and the later ones fake joke versions. Examples are 2860: Decay Modes, 2924: Pendulum Types, 2719: Hydrogen Isotopes, and maybe 2614: 2. I think we should make a new category for it. PDesbeginner (talk) 02:08, 21 June 2024 (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- It's far more widespread than that, perhaps more a super-category given how it's practically a staple in every "several versions of things" comic. It might be nice to categorise them, but perhaps a better title for it? "Hyperbolic lists"? "Flights of fancy"? "Sublime extrapolations"? (No, I think all those suggestions have problems with them, but I have a basic idea of what kind of language I would use, just not the exact words.) Needs someone's better input, but I could see it being done. 172.69.43.185 12:55, 21 June 2024 (UTC)
- Thanks for the feedback! PDesbeginner (talk) 14:54, 21 June 2024 (UTC)
