Explain the process of alpha decay in detail in... - SS2 Physics Modern Physics - Nuclear Physics Question

Alpha decay is a type of nuclear decay in which an alpha particle is emitted from the nucleus of an atom. An alpha particle consists of two protons and two neutrons, which is essentially a helium nucleus. During alpha decay, the parent nucleus loses two protons and two neutrons, resulting in a decrease of two in the atomic number and four in the mass number. The alpha particle is ejected from the nucleus at high speed due to the repulsive electrostatic forces between the positively charged protons. This process releases a significant amount of energy, which is the kinetic energy of the alpha particle and the energy difference between the parent and daughter nuclei.