What characterizes simple beta decay?

In simple beta decay, a neutron in a nucleus is transformed into a proton, accompanied by the emission of a beta particle (an electron or positron) and an antineutrino or neutrino, respectively. The decay results in a new nucleus, which is the daughter nucleus. One key characteristic of simple beta decay is that often the daughter nucleus remains at the ground state after the decay process. This means that it is not in an excited state—the excess energy released during the transformation is typically not enough to place the daughter nucleus in an excited state.

While it is possible for some beta decays to leave the daughter nucleus in an excited state, many cases result in the daughter nucleus being stable and remaining in its ground state. This aligns with the concept of energy conservation where, in the simplest case of beta decay, the ground state configuration is favored. As a fundamental concept in nuclear physics, understanding the behavior of the daughter nucleus helps in grasping the overall process of radioactive decay.

The other choices reflect characteristics that do not universally apply to simple beta decay. For example, the notion that the daughter nucleus has a higher mass is incorrect, as beta decay typically results in a net mass decrease due to the loss of mass corresponding to the emitted particle.