#2860: Decay Modes

XKCD comic, described below.
Transcript

Radioactive Decay Modes

[A 6x2 table of illustrations of atoms, depicting types of atomic decay, with a label underneath.]

[First row]

[A small group of 2 protons and 2 neutrons are shown leaving a larger nucleus.]

Alpha decay

[A small particle is ejected from the nucleus while a neutron is shown converting to a proton as indicated by a shaded circle becoming white.]

Beta decay

[A nucleus emits a wavy arrow representing a wave, while a diagram shows the nucleus changing from a ellipsoid shape to a more spherical one.]

Gamma decay

[A nucleus absorbs one of its electrons along with a small sound effect.]

Electron capture

Nucleus: Slurp

[A small particle is ejected from the nucleus while a proton is shown converting to a neutron as indicated by a white circle becoming shaded.]

Positron emission

[A shaded particle is ejected from the nucleus.]

Neutron emission

[Second row]

[All protons and neutrons are ejected from the nucleus, leaving behind an empty space.]

Baryonic panic

[A few protons and neutrons are floating around a black "hole", with branching cracks coming out from it. Inside the hole is a stylized skull.]

Omega decay

[The nucleus and all the atoms has fallen to the floor, with one still falling and another bouncing off.]

Electron wilt

[A normal nucleus has an arrow pointing from it to a large, light grey sphere with dark grey patches.]

One big nucleon

[The nucleus has six white mushrooms of various sizes growing out of it, with some of the protons and neutrons being black and rotted.]

Fungal decay

[The nucleus is shown being attacked on both sides by Cueballs in boats, holding spears and firing arrows. They are all floating in water, as well as a few fallen protons and neutrons, one with an arrow sticking out of it.]

Collapse due to invasion by sea peoples.

(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)

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.


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