Decay data: review of measurements, evaluations and compilations

Decay data represent an important means of characterising and quantifying radioactive material, as well as providing an important route to our understanding of the structure of the nucleus. The principle decay parameters are defined in this review, prior to undertaking an applications-based assessment of the most relevant contemporary measurements, evaluations and compilations. Emphasis has been placed on the demands of a series of IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programmes that focus on decay data and gamma-ray standards. Some of the more important decay-data issues are also reviewed with respect to recent measurements that address the anomalies associated with intermediate- and long-lived radionuclides. Short-lived fission products pose significant characterisation problems due to their high degree of instability, although a combination of mass separation and complex detector arrays has resulted in rapid analyses and major advances in our understanding of their nuclear properties and structure. Finally, a select number of decay-data evaluations and compilations are discussed in terms of the powerful manipulation and communication capabilities of PCs, CD-ROMs and the Internet.