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Determination of the half-life of 127Sb using the reference source method
Jianfeng Liang1, Guowei Chen1, Xiaolin Zhang1
1Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an, 710024, China; State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulse Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an, 710024, China.
None:
127Sb is a helpful radionuclide in nuclear forensics, yet discrepancies in previous measurements have led to a 1.8 % uncertainty in its recommended half-life value, compromising accurate activity determination. In this study, 127Sb samples were chemically separated from the fission products of 235U following thermal neutron irradiation at Xi'an Pulsed Reactor. The decay of 127Sb was monitored using the reference source method with two High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors, acquiring gamma spectra at equidistant intervals over 25 days (about 6.5 half-lives). A weighted least-squares fit of the decay curve yielded a half-life of 3.877 (24) days, deviating by 0.7 % from the latest recommended value of 3.85 (7) days. Our result reduces the uncertainty significantly compared to prior measurements, enhancing reliability for nuclear forensic applications.
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