自然ビスムスの放射性分解からアルファ粒子を実験的に検出
Pierre de Marcillac1, Noël Coron, Gérard Dambier
1Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS & Université Paris Sud, UMR 8617, Bât. 121, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France. pierre.demarcillac@ias.u-psud.fr
Nature
|April 25, 2003
まとめ
ビスムス-209 (209Bi) は,かつて安定したと考えられていたが,アルファ-腐敗を経験している. 研究者は,敏感な冷凍検出器を使用して,この希少なイベントを成功裏に検出し,その転移安定性を確認し,非常に長い半減期を測定しました.
科学分野:
- 核物理学 核物理学とは
- 素粒子物理学 素粒子物理学について
- 天体物理学 天体物理学
背景:
- 同位体ビスムス-209 (209Bi) は,天然に存在する唯一のビスムスの同位体である.
- 209Biは最も重い安定同位体と考えられていますが,実際には転移安定です.
- そのアルファ崩壊の確率は極めて低く,低エネルギーアルファ粒子を生成し,検出を困難にします.
研究 の 目的:
- ビスマス-209 (209Bi) のアルファ分解を明確に検出する.
- 209Biアルファ分解のエネルギー放出と半減期を測定するために.
- 希少な核事象を検知するための閃光ボロメーターの使用を検証する.
主な方法:
- 冷凍温度 (20 mK) で動作するスシンチラリングボロメーターを使用しました.
- 感度と検出効率を高めるため,ビスムート・ゲルマネート検出器を使用しています.
- 核エムルションを用いた以前の実験の限界を克服した.
主要な成果:
- 209Bi.のアルファ分解を成功裏に検出しました.
- 測定されたエネルギー放出量は3,137 +/- 1 (統計的) +/- 2 (システマティック) keV.
- 半減期は (1.9 +/- 0.2) x 10^19年で,理論的な予測と一致しています.
結論:
- 209Biのアルファ分解を直接観察することで,そのメタスタビリティを確認した.
- 希少な核崩壊を研究するために,冷凍シンチラリングボロメーターの有効性を実証しました.
- 核物理学と天体物理学にとって重要な209Biの崩壊特性の正確な測定を提供した.
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