Abstract
The quantum-mechanical time evolution of an isolated β-unstable nuclear state in the context of certain models predicts that the square of the amplitude of the initial undecayed state becomes an approximately exponential function of time on a timescale on the order of . It was argued that a measurement process required to distinguish between the parent and the daughter nuclear states in such a short time would destroy the characteristics of the long-lived β-unstable nuclear state, thus fundamentally restricting the observability of β decay on a short timescale. Since the interaction of the nuclear state with the environment is almost inevitable, we have obtained the timescale of initial non-exponential decay for the nuclear β decay from an estimation of quantum decoherence time considering the atom of the decaying nucleus as a quantum detector. It has been found from such considerations that a decoherence timescale of β decay is on the order of and the decay should remain reversible and non-exponential on this timescale. The possibilities of observing the effect of non-exponential decay in nuclear systems have been discussed.
- Received 10 June 2016
- Revised 5 October 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.94.055503
©2016 American Physical Society