Precise and accurate determination of the half-life of the α-decay nuclide 243Am using 241Am as the reference isotope

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 571; no. 3; pp. 663 - 668
• Main Authors: Aggarwal, S.K., Alamelu, D., Shah, P.M., Mirashi, N.N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2007
• Subjects: 243Am half-life; Enriched isotopes; Relative activity method; Synthetic mixture sources; Thermal ionization mass spectrometry; α -Particle spectrometry; α -Particle spectrometry; Enriched isotopes; Thermal ionization mass spectrometry; Relative activity method; 243Am half-life; Synthetic mixture sources
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2006.11.031

A re-determination of the half-life of the α-decay nuclide 243Am is reported using the relative activity method. Different synthetic mixtures were prepared by mixing solutions of isotopically pure 241Am and enriched 243Am isotopes, with 241Am/ 243Am α activity ratios in the range of 0.2–2. The 241Am/ 243Am atom ratios in these mixtures were determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometry and the α activity ratios were obtained by α spectrometry. A value of 17.022±0.027 was obtained for the half-life ratio of 243Am to that of 241Am. Using a value of 432.2±(0.15%) a for the 241Am half-life, a value of 7357±23 a (1 σ) was obtained for the half-life of 243Am. This is the value with highest precision and accuracy reported so far.