Equation 2 · Part 1 · Nucleosynthesis Is Descent With Modification
Symbol tau_n
What this part means
the mean waiting time between successive neutron captures on a given nucleus.
Its job in the formula
ta is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.
Full expression→Symbol tau_n→Article meaning
Where the article explains it
where is the mean waiting time between successive neutron captures on a given nucleus and is that nucleus’s beta-decay half-life.
The passage around this formula
where is the mean waiting time between successive neutron captures on a given nucleus and is that nucleus’s beta-decay half-life. Because the s-process obeys this inequality, its reaction path never strays far from the valley of nuclear stability: a nucleus captures a neutron, and if the product is unstable it decays back toward stability long before it can capture another neutron and be pushed further away [ 7 ] .
Learn the underlying idea
A subscript is a label attached below a symbol. It often selects a time step, component, category, or member of a sequence.
Open the illustrated subscripts: which member of a family? guide →
See this notation across published equations →
Sources cited in the surrounding passage
These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.