Ab initio thermodynamics calculation of beta decay rates

Beta-decay half-lives for the free neutron, for ${}^6$He and ${}^8$He, and for ${}^8$Li are calculated ab initio from geometrical thermodynamics arguments, independently of any quantum mechanics. Half-lives for the decay of ${}^8$Be to two alphas and for the disintegration of the tetraneutron are also calculated. The calculated values are close to those experimentally observed. (© 2023 The Authors. Annalen der Physik published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH)