radioactive steady state

synonyms: radioactive equilibrium, secular equilibrium
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08758
Among the radionuclides of a decay chain, the state that prevails when the ratios between the activities of successive radionuclides remain constant.
Note:
This is not equilibrium in the strict sense, since radioactive decay is an irreversible process.
Source:
PAC, 2021, 93, 69. (Vocabulary of radioanalytical methods (IUPAC Recommendations 2020)) on page 95 [Terms] [Paper]
Citation: 'radioactive steady state' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08758 RIS BibTex EndNote
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