V. P. Alekna | USGS Science

USGS1962

Temperature dependence of decay time and intensity of alpha pulses in pure and thallium-activated cesium iodide

The intensity and decay time of Po 210 alpha particle scintillations produced in pure and thallium‐activated cesium iodide have been measured with a fast electronic system as a function of temperature down to 77°K. Three modes of decay due to alpha excitation have been observed for CsI(Tl), and two for CsI. Other than the 7‐ and 0.55‐μsec modes (at room temperature) reported in the literature for CsI(Tl), an additional temperature‐independent mode of about 1.3 μsec has been detected between 77 and 150°K. In CsI a fast temperature‐dependent mode of decay (≈100 nsec) was observed between 100–200°K in addition to the known principal mode.

Review of Scientific Instruments↗

USGS1959

α-Radioactivity of cerium-142

JOHNSON AND NIER 1 have measured the atomic masses of some of the rare-earth isotopes and have shown that the mass difference cerium-142—(barium-138 + helium-4) is equivalent to 1.68 ± 0.10 MeV. Similar results for the naturally occurring samarium and neodymium isotopes show that the α -active isotope of each element is the one having the largest possible decay energy. Rasmussen and others 2 suggest that the two or three neutrons just beyond the closed shell of 82 neutrons have decreased binding energies and hence the α -energy has a maximum about 84 neutrons. Johnson and Nier suggest that the α -decay of cerium-142 may take place with enough energy to be experimentally observable. Porschen and Riezler 3 examined a sample of un-enriched cerium ammonium citrate using nuclear track plates sensitive to α -particles. No α -activity was observed after a 30-day exposure of 1.2 mgm. of the cerium salt. In 1957 Riezler and Kauw 4 reported an alpha activity for an enriched sample of cerium-142. From their results they calculated a half-life of 5.1 × 10 15 years with an uncertainty factor of 2.

Nature↗