Radiactive Decay
Radiactive Decay : (Nucl Phys) The spontaneous transformation of one nuclide into a different nuclide or into a different energy state. The process results in a decrease of the number of the original radioactive atoms in a sample. Decay occurs through the emission from the nucleus of alpha particles, beta particles (or electrons), or gamma rays, or by fission. Syn: Radioactive Disintegration