Radioactive decay by the emission of heavy nuclear fragments

Abstract

Radioactive decay of nuclei by the emission of heavy ions of C, N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si and P isotopes (known as exotic decay or cluster radioactivity) is re-investigated within the framework of a semiempirical, one-parameter model based on a quantum mechanical, tunneling mechanism through a potential barrier, where both centrifugal and overlapping effects are considered to half-life evaluations. This treatment appeared to be very adequate at fitting all measured half-life values for the cluster emission cases observed to date. Predictions for new heavy-ion decay cases susceptible of being detected are also reported.