decay chain

American  

[di-kay chayn] / dɪˈkeɪ ˌtʃeɪn /

noun

1. Physics. Also called decay series. the predictable sequence of radioactive decays that an unstable atom undergoes before it is transformed into a stable state at the end of the chain.

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decay chain Scientific  

1. A sequence of radioactive decay processes, in which the decay of one element creates a new element that may itself be radioactive. The chain ends when stable atoms are formed. For example, uranium-238 decays into thorium-234, which in turn decays into palladium-234, and so on until stable iron is produced at the end of the chain.

2. Also called decay sequence

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Example Sentences

Inside the detector, the atom will continue to shed alphas: In fact, several events in the decay chain will already have occurred before the scientists even register the sound.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 30, 2019

That decay chain is what allows scientists to identify, retroactively, which element they've created.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 30, 2019

Such a series is called a decay chain.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017

What will survive of us is plastic – and lead-207, the stable isotope at the end of the uranium-235 decay chain.

From The Guardian • Apr. 1, 2016