A new twist in β -decay

摘要

In an elegant experiment, described on page 137 of this issue, Gatti et al. have found a new twist in the β-decay of a rhenium isotope. Radioactive β-decay is when a neutron in an atomic nucleus changes into a proton, emitting an electron and a neutrino in the process. The authors show that the local molecular environment of the decaying nucleus has a significant effect on the shape of the electron emission spectrum. The underlying interest in β-decay, and the rationale for Gatti and colleagues' experiment, stems from the hunt for that elusive particle, the neutrino.