How do alpha particles make it past the electron cloud?

Subject: How do alpha particles make it past the electron cloud?

Date: Thu Feb 25 02:56:24 1999
Posted by frank ermes
Grade level: 10-12 School: n/a
City: Melbourne State/Province: Victoria Country: Australia
Area of science: Physics
ID: 919932984.Ph

Message:


Given that alpha radiation is positively charged, how does it get 
past the electron cloud without colliding with the electrons and 
thus get converted to neutrons(?)
Is it via quantum tunneling? If so, where do they "go" while they
are tunneling past the electrons? Is this another of those 
"Uncertainty Principle" things?

Re: How do alpha particles make it past the electron cloud?

Current Queue | Current Queue for Physics | Physics archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Physics.