https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-025-01659-6
Regular Article - Experimental Physics
Precision measurement of the half-lifes of the excited nuclear states in Fe-57
Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Husova 240/5, 110 00, Prague, Czechia
a
benedikt.bergmann@utef.cvut.cz
Received:
29
May
2025
Accepted:
31
July
2025
Published online:
14
August
2025
The half-lifes of the nuclear isomeric states in 57Fe at 14.4 keV and 136.5 keV above the ground state are measured with unprecedented precision using hybrid pixel detectors based on Timepix3 technology. These detectors enable dead-time-free single-photon detection and provide simultaneous measurements of photon energy and arrival time, allowing for nanosecond-scale determination of time differences between characteristic X-rays and 
-rays emitted during the electron-capture decay of 57Co. Employing the delayed coincidence technique, the half-life of the 14.4-keV state is determined as 
ns, achieving a fourfold improvement in precision over previous measurements. The half-life of the 136.5-keV state is measured as 
ns, reducing the uncertainty by a factor of two. These results are discussed in the context of previous works.
© The Author(s) 2025
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