Accession Number:

AD0832197

Title:

SOME TWO-COMPONENT BETA DECAY MEASUREMENTS

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA

Personal Author(s):

• Ballard, Jr., Clark T.
• Tickenor, III, James R.

Report Date:

1967-06-01

Pagination or Media Count:

66.0

Abstract:

The shorter half-life of a two-component beta decay was determined. Natural silver was activated with thermal neutrons to produce isotopes Ag108 and Ag110. The shorter half-life decay that of Ag110 was isolated from that of Ag108 by measuring the decay of only the higher energy betas associated with Ag110. Because of a large portion of the energy spectrum was excluded, pile-up corrections were necessary. The half-life was also determined using the more conventional two-component method. The single-component method yielded a half- life of 23.26 plus or minus .03 seconds compared with 23.43 plus or minus .04 seconds determined by the two-component method. Only statistical uncertainties are shown above. The techniques used for making pile-up corrections are described, and systematic errors are discussed. This investigation indicates that accurate half-life determinations can be obtained with the single-component method.

Descriptors:

• *RADIOACTIVE DECAY
• ACCURACY
• BETA DECAY
• CORRECTIONS
• COUNTING METHODS
• ERRORS
• HALF LIFE
• RADIATION MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
• RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES
• SILVER
• STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
• TEST METHODS
• THERMAL NEUTRONS

Subject Categories:

• Nuclear Instrumentation
• Radioactivity, Radioactive Wastes and Fission Products

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE