Alpha Decay and Beta-Delayed Fission: Tools for Nuclear Physics Studies

α decay and β-delayed fission are two important decay modes of heavy exotic nuclei. Experimental α decay and β-delayed fission studies deliver significant nuclear-structure information in regions of the nuclear chart with limited accessibility. This information is important to improve the predictability of contemporary nuclear models used for e.g. nuclear astrophysics calculations. The basic principles and the current understanding of α and β-delayed fission decay are introduced. Examples of recent experiments and their impact on the understanding of heavy nuclei are presented.