What results when an inner shell electron combines with a proton, creating a neutron and neutrino?

The process of an inner shell electron combining with a proton to create a neutron and a neutrino is known as electron capture. This occurs in unstable atomic nuclei where a proton is converted into a neutron by capturing an inner shell electron. The emitted neutrino carries away energy and momentum, allowing the reaction to comply with conservation laws.

Electron capture has significant implications in nuclear physics and is an important mechanism for certain types of radioactive decay, particularly in isotopes that have too many protons compared to neutrons. This leads to a more stable nucleus and is one of the pathways through which an atomic nucleus can undergo transformation to achieve stability.

Other processes mentioned, such as regular decay, radiation emission, and pair production, operate under different principles or mechanisms and do not involve the direct combination of inner shell electrons with protons to form neutrons.