> *particle that is emitted from an alpha decay isn't actually called a He atom”
“Because they are identical to helium nuclei, they are also sometimes written as He2+…” [1].
“Because they are identical to helium nuclei, they are also sometimes written as He2+…” [1].
H+ is tricky; it’s called hydron (or just H-plus) but it is indeed formed of a single proton, so in practice it is also called that. The names are interchangeable and depend on the field. For example, when looking at irradiation, we call it proton, but either is correct.
If we want to be pedantic, an alpha particle is a He2+ formed during a nuclear reaction, so it typically has quite a bit of kinetic energy as well. In that context they are interchangeable. I am not aware of He2+ being formed in other ways, He is very stable and I am not aware of something that is able to steal its electrons.