The nuclide produced by radioactive decay or nuclear reaction (e.g. in a generator) of the parent nuclide. The daughter nuclide becomes, if not stable, the unstable parent in the next decay.

See also Decay, Decay Chain and Generator.

See Radioactive Decay.

Disintegration is a synonym for radioactive decay.

Epithermal neutrons are unbound moderately severe neutrons. The energy of epithermal neutrons is in the range from 0.025 to 1 eV. Unbound neutrons are produced in fission and in some radioactive decay processes.

See also Neutron Activation Analysis, Neutron Capture.

Atomic or nuclear fission is the process of splitting a heavy nucleus into two lighter nuclei. Some nuclides split up spontaneous as a type of radioactive decay. In other elements, fission is induced through the reaction of an incident radiation with the nucleus. High energy rates are released during the fission reaction (difference between the binding energies); this energy is used to produce heat and electricity e.g. in nuclear power plants.