page title goes here Risk Assessment
Decay Chain
Using the Radionuclide Decay Chain Tool
1. Select Isotope 2. Decay Chain Table 3. Decay Chain Animation | 1. Select IsotopeSelect the isotope of interest and click the "Submit" button.2. Decay Chain TableA table of the ICRP 107 decay chain appears that displays the parent and all daughters in the decay chain through the stable isotope(s). The half-life, decay modes, and the branching fractions are given. Decay chains that are repeated as a result of multiple branching fractions are only presented once in the table. Text below the decay chain table contains decay mode definitions and further information on the daughters included in the +D slope factors for risk assessment purposes. A back button is provided to return to the main page. To watch an animated representation of the decay process, click the link "Click for animated diagram of the decay chain."3. Decay Chain AnimationThe parent isotope and the daughters are slowly drawn. Inside the representative atoms, the atomic mass and half-life are given for the isotope. The decay mode and the branching fraction are displayed beside the decay arrows. Stable isotopes are presented in green. Click here to see an example. When a decay is by spontaneous fission, the resulting representative atom is shown in white with SF displayed in the center. Hover the cursor over an isotope to increase the size. Decay chains that are repeated as a result of multiple branching fractions are only presented once in the drawing to retain a manageable size. A chain that does not end in a green stable isotope is presented elsewhere in the drawing. While the chain is being drawn, atoms will briefly flash to signify where an incomplete chain is continued. Also, if the user hovers the cursor over the last atom in an incomplete chain, the atom that continues the chain will increase its size. The animation speed can be controlled and a button is provided to restart the drawing if desired. When the decay requires more space than the drawing window, scrollbars will appear. A back button is provided to return the user to the previous page. |