What Is an Electron Capture?

The nucleus spontaneously draws an electron from the K-layer or L-layer electron orbit, and combines with a proton to become a neutron. ^[1]

Electron capture

Right!

The nucleus spontaneously draws an electron from the K-layer or L-layer electron orbit, and combines with a proton to become a neutron. ^[1]

Electron trapping is a type of beta decay, sometimes called inverse beta decay.

In electron capture, an electron in an inner orbit, (usually from K

Electron capture is a type of decay when there are too many protons in the nucleus but lack sufficient energy to release positrons. If the energy difference between the initial nucleus and the new nucleus is less than 1.022 MeV, positron emission is blocked, and electron capture is the only decay mode. For example, thorium-83 will decay to thorium-83 only by electron capture, because the energy difference between the two is only about 0.9 MeV.

Radioactive elements that rely on electron capture to decay, in theory, can be prevented from decaying by ionizing all electrons. Therefore, there is a hypothesis that supernovas are generating these

Chemical bonds also affect the electron capture reaction to a certain extent (usually less than 1%) by changing how close the electron is to the nucleus.

For elements in the middle of the periodic table, isotopes that are lighter than stable isotopes usually decay by electron capture, and isotopes heavier than stable isotopes usually decay by beta decay. A good example is the radioactive isotope of silver. Its light isotope decays through electron capture (inverse beta decay), and the heavy isotope undergoes beta decay.