https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2007-10509-0
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
The half-life of 198Au : High-precision measurement shows no temperature dependence
Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, 77843, College Station, TX, USA
* e-mail: hardy@comp.tamu.edu
Received:
16
November
2007
Accepted:
17
December
2007
Published online:
10
January
2008
We have measured the half-life of the β -decay of 198Au in a metallic environment, both at low temperature (19K), and also at room temperature. We find the half-lives at both temperatures to be the same within 0.04%, a finding that contradicts a recent report of a 3.6±1.0 % difference in the 198Au half-life when measured at essentially the same two temperatures. Our results for the half-life, 2.6949±0.0009 d at room temperature and 2.6953±0.0008 d at 19K, also agree well with previous precision room temperature measurements.
PACS: 21.10.Tg Lifetimes, – / 23.40.-s β decay; double β decay; electron and muon capture – / 27.80.+w 190 ⩽ A ⩽ 219 –
© Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2008
