2.3 Types of radioactive decay

There are several types of radioactive decay. The type of decay of unstable nuclides determines the nature of the newly formed isotopes and the emitted radiation. Radioactive decay might lead to the emission of charged particles (alpha, beta), neutral charge particles (neutrons) and/or gamma radiation. In the case of nuclear fission, the nucleus splits in fragments. Some radionuclides may have more than one mode of decay, each one having different probability to occur.