Tochternuklid

Tochternuklid is a term used in nuclear physics to refer to the daughter nuclide produced directly by the radioactive decay of another nuclide, known as the parent nuclide. The daughter may itself be stable or radioactive, and it can subsequently decay to another daughter, forming a decay chain. The concept helps describe how nuclear transformations proceed over time.

Daughter nuclides arise through various decay modes, most commonly alpha decay and beta decay. In alpha decay, the parent loses an alpha particle, reducing its atomic number by 2 and its mass number by 4, yielding a daughter nuclide with lower Z and A. In beta minus decay, a neutron converts to a proton, increasing Z by 1 while A remains the same. In beta plus decay or electron capture, Z decreases by 1 while A remains unchanged. Because multiple parent nuclides can produce the same or different daughters, a given daughter nuclide may appear in several decay sequences.

Examples illustrate the concept. For instance, uranium-238 decays via alpha emission to thorium-234, which then decays by beta minus to protactinium-234, and so on. In general, a decay chain begins with a parent nuclide and proceeds through successive Tochternukliden until a stable nuclide is reached or the chain terminates at another unstable member.

In practice, identifying daughter nuclides is essential for understanding radioactivity, dating techniques, and the behavior of radioactive materials over time. It also matters in applications such as nuclear medicine and environmental monitoring, where the activity and identity of daughter nuclides influence outcomes and safety considerations.