| Issue |
EPL
Volume 85, Number 2, January 2009
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 20006 | |
| Number of page(s) | 5 | |
| Section | General | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/85/20006 | |
| Published online | 30 January 2009 | |
Quantum time scales in alpha tunneling
1
Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de los Andes - Cra. 1E No. 18A-10, Bogota, Colombia
2
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik - Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany, EU
Corresponding author: nkelkar@uniandes.edu.co
Received:
4
October
2008
Accepted:
19
December
2008
The theoretical treatment of alpha-decay by Gamow is revisited by investigating the quantum time scales in tunneling. The time spent by an alpha-particle in front of the barrier and traversing it before escape is evaluated using microscopic alpha-nucleus potentials. The half-life of a nucleus is shown to correspond to the time spent by the alpha knocking in front of the barrier. Calculations for medium and super heavy nuclei show that from a multitude of available tunneling time definitions, the transmission dwell time gives the bulk of the lifetime of the decaying state, in most cases.
PACS: 03.65.Xp – Tunneling, traversal time, quantum Zeno dynamics / 21.10.Tg – Lifetimes, widths / 23.60.+e – α decay
© EPLA, 2009
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