I was reading in Leon Lederman's book, From Quarks to the Cosmos, that
Fermi's theory of the weak interaction is correct in describing the
radioactive decay of all particles. Does this mean the emission of alpha
particles is the result of a weak interaction?
I always thought this was the result of the electromagnetic force
getting the upper hand across the thee diameter of the nucleus and the alpha
particle is the most stable, conserving bundle to kick out.
Tom McCarthy
Saint Edward's School
1895 St. Edward's Drive
Vero Beach, FL 32963
561-231-4136
Physics and Astronomy