Electromagnetic-radiation effect on alpha decay

Abstract

The effect of the electromagnetic radiation on the spontaneous charge emission from heavy atomic nuclei is estimated in a model which may be relevant for proton emission and alpha-particle decay in laser fields. Arguments are given that the electronic cloud in heavy atoms screens appreciably the electric field acting on the nucleus and the nucleus "sees" rather low fields. In these conditions, it is shown that the electromagnetic radiation brings second-order corrections in the electric field to the disintegration rate, with a slight anisotropy. These corrections give a small enhancement of the disintegration rate. The case of a static electric field is also discussed.In the context of an active topical research in laser-related physics,[1]-[5] the problem of charge emission from bound-states under the action of the electromagnetic radiation is receiving an increasing interest. Some investigations focus especially on the effect the optical-laser radiation may have on the spontaneous alpha-particle decay of the atomic nuclei,[6]- [11] or nuclear

Laser-Based Means for Accelerating Nuclear Decay Rate

“…[1][2] Calculations support the possibility that a non-resonant interaction of an atom with an intense external electric field can alter nuclear processes, but disagree on the magnitude of the effect that can be expected. [3][4][5][6][7] Resonant excitement of plasmonic nanoparticles can lead to increases of electric field strength on the order of 10 5 -10 6 near the nanoparticle surfaces. Laser pulses from commercially available, benchtop sources (such as a Nd:YAG laser) can thus be enhanced to 10 18 -10 19 W/cm 2 , which is sufficient to excite relativistic energies in electrons.…”