Pile-up corrections for high-precision superallowed β decay half-life measurements via γ-ray photopeak counting

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-11-2007

Abstract

A general technique that corrects γ-ray gated β decay-curve data for detector pulse pile-up is presented. The method includes corrections for non-zero time-resolution and energy-threshold effects in addition to a special treatment of saturating events due to cosmic rays. This technique is verified through a Monte Carlo simulation and experimental data using radioactive beams of 26Na implanted at the center of the 8 π γ-ray spectrometer at the ISAC facility at TRIUMF in Vancouver, Canada. The β-decay half-life of 26Na obtained from counting 1809-keV γ-ray photopeaks emitted by the daughter 26Mg was determined to be T1 / 2 = 1.07167 ± 0.00055 s following a 27 σ correction for detector pulse pile-up. This result is in excellent agreement with the result of a previous measurement that employed direct β counting and demonstrates the feasibility of high-precision β-decay half-life measurements through the use of high-purity germanium γ-ray detectors. The technique presented here, while motivated by superallowed-Fermi β decay studies, is general and can be used for all half-life determinations (e.g. α-, β-, X-ray, fission) in which a γ-ray photopeak is used to select the decays of a particular isotope. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

First Page

1005

Last Page

1033

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