Eur. Phys. J. A (2005) 23: 243-247
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2004-10077-9

Alpha-decay of neutron-deficient ²⁰⁰Fr and heavier neighbours

¹ Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
² Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, L697ZE, Liverpool, UK
³ Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, D-55099, Mainz, Germany
⁴ ISOLDE, CERN, CH-1211, Genève, Switzerland
⁵ Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, Hoza 69, PL-00681, Warsaw, Poland

^* e-mail: hilde.dewitte@fys.kuleuven.ac.be

Received: 15 April 2004
Accepted: 24 September 2004
Published online: 16 December 2004

Abstract

A new measurement of the ²⁰⁰Fr α-decay half-life, with improved accuracy compared to previous measurements, has been carried out at the Isolde-CERN on-line mass separator. A half-life of 49(4) ms has been obtained, which is substantially different from earlier literature values. For the ¹⁹⁶At daughter decay, a half-life of 389(54) ms and an α branching ratio b _α = 94(5)% were measured. In addition, the half-lives of ^{201, 203, 205}Fr and ^197,199At are reported.