Long-sought measurement of exotic beta decay in thallium helps extract
> the timescale of the Sun's birth:
>formatting linkSource:
> GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH
> Summary:
> How long did it take our Sun to form in its stellar nursery?
> Scientists are now closer to an answer.
> They succeeded in the measurement of the bound-state beta decay of
> fully-ionized thallium ions at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) of GSI/FAIR.
> This measurement has profound effects on the production of radioactive lead in
> asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and can be used to help determine the Sun's
> formation time.
That one is wonderful! Thanks Jan!
A nuclear reaction where the energy difference is *so* tiny that fully ionising the element inside a star tips the balance between normal decay of neutral Pb205 decaying into Tl205 and Pb205 being formed from Tl205.