Method of multiple internal reflections in description of nuclear alpha-decay

Abstract

A spatial-time method of description of alpha-decay of a nucleus is presented. The method is based on the quantum mechanical model of the alpha-decay of a compound nuclear system with the barrier. alpha-decay dynamics is described on the basis of multiple internal reflections of wave packets from boundaries of the decay barrier. The method allows to study this process in details at any time moment or point of space. According to the method, some time before the time moment of the nuclear decay the nucleus makes oscilations. In the calculations of the time duration of the alpha-decay of the compound nucleus we propose to take into account the time durations of these oscillations. The method of the multiple internal reflections allows to calculate the time of such oscillations before the alpha-decay and the total alpha-decay time.