C-14, cause of slow disintegration

2008/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Fisika

The carbon isotope 14 disintegrates very slowly. A sample takes 5,730 years to transform half of its 14 carbon into nitrogen. Other radioactive isotopes disintegrate much faster, only in minutes or hours. Why does carbon 14 disintegrate so slowly? The key is in the nucleus of the atom. There, protons and neutrons are joined by other particles: mesons. But, according to one theory, the mesons exert two forces: one attracts protons and neutrons and the other repels. An isotope is radioactive when the repulsion force is greater. According to the latest calculations, in the case of carbon 14 these two forces are practically balanced, so although it disintegrates, it takes a lot of time to do so.