what gets released when alpha decay
Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle identical to a helium-4 nucleus. They are generally produced in the process of alpha decay, but may also be produced in other ways. Alpha particles are named after the first letter in the Greek alphabet, Î±. The symbol for the alpha particle is Î± or Î±2+. Because they are identical to helium nuclei, they are also sometimes written as He2+ or 4 2He2+ indicating a helium ion with a +2 charge. If the ion ...