Precise measurements of the Bk97249 ground state half-life and the β-decay end-point energy

J. Chen, I. Ahmad, J. P. Greene, and F. G. Kondev
Phys. Rev. C 90, 044302 – Published 3 October 2014

Abstract

The half-life of the Bk249 ground state was determined by means of γ-ray spectroscopy, following for 728 days the growth of its α-decaying daughter nuclide Cf249. Using a chemically purified source containing Bk249 and Cs137 nuclides, γ-ray singles measurements were carried out using a 25% coaxial Ge detector. The areas of the strongest 333.37- and 388.17-keV γ-ray peaks, produced in the α decay of Cf249, and the 661.66-keV peak, produced in the β decay of Cs137, were determined. The measured activity of the latter was used to account for geometrical and dead-time corrections to the efficiency of the spectrometer, thus minimizing the systematic uncertainties associated with long-time, γ-ray counting measurements. Using the growth with time of the ratio of the 388.17- and 661.66-keV γ-ray peaks, a value of T1/2=327.2±0.3 d (the uncertainty quoted is one standard deviation, 1σ) for the half-life of the Bk249 ground state was determined. The β-decay end-point energy of Bk249 was measured with a passivated implanted planar silicon detector to be 123.6±0.4 keV.

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  • Received 19 August 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.90.044302

©2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. Chen, I. Ahmad, J. P. Greene, and F. G. Kondev*

  • Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA

  • *Corresponding author: kondev@anl.gov

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Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 4 — October 2014

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