ABSTRACT: The uranium-238 radioactive series is a well-known multi-step decay chain involving multiple alpha and beta-negative decays, ultimately resulting in the stable lead-206 isotope. In this work, we use computational simulations with Monte Carlo method to analyze the stochastic timing of decay events and to evaluate hypothetical decay pathways. Initially, by considering only mass and charge conservation, we identify 3,003 theoretical decay chains. However, many of these chains are unphysical due to energy constraints and nuclear stability. By incorporating additional nuclear physics principles, such as decay energy and nuclear shell stability, we confirm that only the well-established uranium-238 decay series is physically possible. This approach demonstrates a practical application of computational techniques to analyze nuclear decay chains.
Keywords: Uranium-238; Radioactive series; Nuclear decay; Simulation; Monte Carlo method.
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