galaxy_of_nuclides
galaxy_of_nuclides copied to clipboard
Show decay paths
There are three ways that atoms decay and two of them (let's ignore gamma for now) change what the atom is. Alpha decay emits an alpha particle (Helium-4 nuclide) and Beta turns a neutron into a proton (emitting an electron in the process, but let's stick with nuclear particles for now).
This is a potential rabbit hole for going the direction of more sophisticated interactive charts of nuclides (see what this project is not), so it's important to keep this simple. Additional data required shouldn't be much more than booleans for whether a nuclide alpha and/or beta decays. The rest of the work should be in the SVG chart itself showing cool animations of spidering chains.
Pick a radionuclide and set it running. Or pick several and set them all off simultaneously. Watch the chart light up like a Christmas Tree.