Technical note systematic behaviour in cluster radioactivity

Based on observations of cluster radioactivity, it was found that nuclei that decay by cluster radioactivity have either a daughter that is magic (N = 126 or Z = 82) or a light emitted cluster with the highest binding energy (BE) per cluster. Nuclei that obey both conditions (magic and highest BE per cluster for the emitted cluster) have shorter half-lives. Thus, the most likely mode of cluster radioactive decay is when the light cluster has the highest BE per cluster and the daughter product is the double magic nucleus 208Pb.