91Ó°ÊÓ

An electron capture process is a nuclear reaction where a nucleus absorbs an innermost shell electron (K-shell electron), which then combines with a proton in the nucleus to form a neutron. This results in the atomic number decreasing by one and converting the element into an isotope of the preceding element on the periodic table. K-shell electrons are typically captured due to their high probability of being close to the nucleus and having sufficient energy to overcome the electrostatic force between the electron and protons in the nucleus. Electron capture is significant in nuclear physics, particularly in understanding beta decay processes and studying atomic structures and nuclear transitions.