Decay Constant

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Decay Constant

</dt>
1. = attenuation constant. </dd>
2. (symbol Missing Image:img src="SP7-d_files/lambdasm.gif") A constant relating the instant rate of radioactive decay of a radioactive species to the number of atoms N present at a given time t. Thus,

</p>
-(Missing Image:img src="SP7-d_files/partderiv.gif"N / Missing Image:img src="SP7-d_files/partderiv.gif"t) = Missing Image:img src="SP7-d_files/lambdasm.gif"N


If No is the number of atoms present at time zero then

</p>
Missing Image:img src="SP7-d_files/76deconst.gif" height="20" width="79"</p>
[[/a>|/a>]]</p>

</dd>

[edit] References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use

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