Ab Initio Thermodynamics Calculation of Beta Decay Rates

Beta-decay half-lives for the free neutron, for 6He and 8He, and for 8Li are calculated ab initio from geometrical thermodynamics arguments, independently of any quantum mechanics. Half-lives for the decay of 8Be to two alphas and for the disintegration of the tetraneutron are also calculated. The calculated values are close to those experimentally observed. Beta-decay half-lives are calculated ab initio from thermodynamics, independently of any quantum mechanics. The calculated values are close to those experimentally observed (measurements of the neutron half-life remain uncertain perhaps at the 1% level).image