Useful Quantities in Nuclear Science
atomic mass unit (u) |
mass 12C |
1.6605402x10-27 kg |
electric charge (coulomb) |
e |
1.60217733x10-19 C |
speed of light (vacuum) |
c |
299792458 m/s (exact) |
Particle |
Mass |
Charge
|
Half-life
|
|
(in u) |
(in electron charge, e)
|
(in seconds)
|
proton, p |
1.007276 |
+1
|
stable
|
neutron, n |
1.008665 |
0
|
624
|
electron, e or e- |
0.000549 |
-1
|
stable
|
neutrino, |
> 0 |
0
|
stable*
|
antiproton, |
1.007276 |
-1
|
stable
|
antineutron, |
1.008665 |
0
|
624
|
positron, e+ |
0.000549 |
+1
|
stable
|
antineutrino, |
> 0 |
0
|
stable*
|
muon, m± |
0.10565 |
+1, -1
|
3.17x10-6
|
pion, p± |
0.14 |
+1, -1
|
3.76x10-8
|
pion, p0 |
0.14 |
0
|
6.63x10-17
|
photon, g |
0 |
0
|
stable
|
gluon, g |
0 |
0
|
|
up quark, u |
approximately 0.005 |
+2/3
|
|
down quark, d |
approximately 0.01 |
-1/3
|
|
strange quark, s |
0.1 to 0.3 |
-1/3
|
|
charm quark, c |
1.0 to 1.6 |
+2/3
|
|
bottom quark, b |
4.1 to 4.5 |
-1/3
|
|
top quark, t |
180 ± 12 |
+2/3
|
|
1H atom |
1.007825 |
0
|
stable
|
2H nucleus |
2.013553 |
+1
|
stable
|
2H atom |
2.014102 |
0
|
stable
|
3H nucleus |
3.015500 |
+1
|
3.88x108
|
3H atom |
3.016049 |
0
|
3.88x108
|
3He nucleus |
3.014932 |
+2
|
stable
|
3He atom |
3.016029 |
0
|
stable
|
4He nucleus |
4.001506 |
+2
|
stable
|
4He atom |
4.002603 |
0
|
stable
|
12C atom |
12.000000 |
0
|
stable
|
238U atom |
238.050785 |
0
|
1.41x1017
|
Antiparticles are assumed to have same half-life as particles.
*Neutrinos (antineutrinos) can change into an other one of the same type.
From the Review of Particle Properties, R. M. Barnett et al., Physical Review D54, 1 (1996).
International System of Units (SI)SI prefixes
value |
name |
symbol |
10-24 |
yocto |
y |
10-21 |
zepto |
z |
10-18 |
atto |
a |
10-15 |
femto |
f |
10-12 |
pico |
p |
10-9 |
nano |
n |
10-6 |
micro |
m |
10-3 |
milli |
m |
10-2 |
centi |
c |
10-1 |
deci |
d |
10 |
deca |
da |
102 |
hecto |
h |
103 |
kilo |
k |
106 |
mega |
M |
109 |
giga |
G |
1012 |
tera |
T |
1015 |
peta |
P |
1018 |
exa |
E |
1021 |
zetta |
Z |
1024 |
yotta |
Y |
Example of a Branching Ratio
226Ac |
Æ |
Th + e- + |
83% |
226Ac + e |
Æ |
226Fr + |
17% |
226Ac |
Æ |
222Fr + 4He |
0.006% |
|