Jälkeläisisotooppi

Jälkeläisisotooppi refers to a radioisotope produced from the radioactive decay of another radioisotope. When a parent isotope undergoes radioactive decay, it transforms into a daughter isotope. If this daughter isotope is also radioactive, it is considered a jälkeläisisotooppi of the original parent isotope. This process can continue through a series of decays, forming a decay chain. Each member of the chain, except for the stable end product, is a jälkeläisisotooppi of the preceding isotope.

The concept of jälkeläisisotooppi is fundamental in radiometry and geochronology. For instance, uranium-238 decays through a long chain of isotopes, eventually reaching stable lead-206. In this chain, radium-226 is a jälkeläisisotooppi of uranium-238, and radon-222 is a jälkeläisisotooppi of radium-226. The quantities and ratios of parent isotopes and their jälkeläisisotooppi can be measured to determine the age of rocks, minerals, and archaeological artifacts. This dating method, known as radiometric dating, relies on the predictable decay rates of radioactive isotopes.

The time it takes for a radioactive isotope to decay into its jälkeläisisotooppi is characterized by its half-life. This is the time required for half of a sample of the parent isotope to decay. Understanding the half-lives and decay paths of parent isotopes and their jälkeläisisotooppi is crucial for accurate age determination and for understanding nuclear processes.