Nuclear spin of radioactive elements

There seems at present to be rather definite evidence that the rate of radio-active disintegration, and excitation of the product-nucleus usually connected with it, is largely affected by the values of nuclear angular momenta. It was shown by the author that the existence of intense components of α-ray-fine-structure indicates that the disintegrating-, and the product-nuclei possess different spins. The angular momenta received in this case by α-particles of the normal group (transitions between normal states of both nuclei) will reduce its probability of escape in favour of other groups corresponding to the formation of the excited product.