2022 Impact factor 2.7
Hadrons and Nuclei
Eur. Phys. J. A 15, 335-342 (2002)
DOI: 10.1140/epja/i2002-10038-4

Radioactive decay of $\chem{^{217}Pa}$

F.P. Heßberger1, S. Hofmann1, I. Kojouharov1, D. Ackermann1, 2, S. Antalic3, P. Cagarda3, B. Kindler1, B. Lommel1, R. Mann1, A.G. Popeko4, S. Saro3, J. Uusitalo5 and A.V. Yeremin4

1  Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung mbH, D-64220 Darmstadt, Germany
2  Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg - Universität Mainz, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
3  Department of Nuclear Physics, Comenius University SK-84215 Bratislava, Slovakia
4  Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, JINR, 141 980 Dubna, Russia
5  Physics Department, University of Jyväskylä, FIN-40351 Jyväskylä, Finland

f.p.hessberger@gsi.de

(Received: 29 April 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002)

Abstract
The radioactive decay of $\chem{^{217}Pa}$ was investigated by means of $\alpha$- $\gamma$-spectroscopy. Fine structure in the ground-state $\alpha$-decay was established. Ambiguities in the fine structure of the $\alpha$-decay of the previously known isomeric state could be clarified by $\alpha$- $\gamma$-coincidence measurements. A previously unknown $\alpha$-transition of $E_{\alpha}$ = (8306 $\pm$ 5) keV was detected and identified by means of delayed $\alpha$- $\alpha$- and $\alpha$- $\gamma$- $\gamma$-coincidence measurements. A second isomeric state decaying by $\alpha$-emission was not observed. The quality of the previously reported data of the $\alpha$-decay fine structure of $\chem{^{217}Th}$ was improved.

PACS
23.60.+e - Alpha decay.
27.90.+b - $A \geq 220$ .

© Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2002