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unscientific
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Homework Statement
(a) What processes changes atomic number by 1? What are the favourable conditions? How do you tell a neutrino is involved? How can we use this to understand the mass of this particle?
(b) Use semi empirical mass formula to explain why odd-odd isobars are unlikely, while even-even isobars are possible. Why is ##Tc## the lightest odd-odd isobar? Show by mass difference ##Mo## is stable.
(c) What is the other possible process and its ##Q## value?
(d) What background is suppressed and what other background exists? What's the significance of T=Q?
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
This question completely stumped me, as I have no idea how to proceed.
Part (a)
I suppose the two processes are neutron capturing: ##_a ^b X + n \rightarrow _a ^{b+1} Y + \gamma## and fission: ##_a ^b Z + n \rightarrow _a ^{b-1} W + 2n + \gamma##.
I think favourable conditions are an odd-even nucleus? Not sure what other conditions there are.
When a neutrino is involved, I suppose we find leptons? How do we use leptonic decay to figure out the mass?
Part (b)
For an odd-odd configuration, ##\delta_P < 0## so lower binding energy compared to an even-even configuration where ##\delta_P = 0##. Not sure why ##(Z,N) = (43,57)## is the lightest odd-odd isobar. What about ##(41,59)##?
It seems that ##Mo## has a higher binding energy than ##Tc##, so I suppose it is more stable.
Not sure for the other parts of this question..