I am just thinking,say for example thorium 230 decays to radium 226.
But what will happen if radium 226 is hit by alpha particles?Will it be converted back to thorium 230?unionised - 15-2-2020 at 06:01
It's possible, but the odds are astronomical for radium.
For lower mass elements it's part of the physics of stars.
I know that for the lower mass elements but i am not sure for heavy elements.An interesting thing to know would be if its possible to make polinum 210
by exposing lead 206 to alpha radiation.clearly_not_atara - 15-2-2020 at 12:33
The short answer is no; the long answer is that yes this happens occasionally but the cross-section is so small the yields will never be useful for
anything. It's like trying to make a lake by spraying water into the air and hoping it falls in the right place.
[Edited on 15-2-2020 by clearly_not_atara]G-Coupled - 16-2-2020 at 11:39
This is to do with the small amount of 'barns' that Polonium-210 has, representing a small area of cross section?
