Results of a Direct Search Using Synchrotron Radiation for the Low-Energy Th229 Nuclear Isomeric Transition

Jeet, Justin; Schneider, Christian; Sullivan, Scott T.; Rellergert, Wade G.; Mirzadeh, Saed; Cassanho, A.; Jenssen, H. P.; Tkalya, Eugene V.; Hudson, Eric R.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.253001

Title: Results of a Direct Search Using Synchrotron Radiation for the Low-Energy ${}^{229}{Th}$ Nuclear Isomeric Transition

Journal Article · Tue Jun 23 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.253001· OSTI ID:1327579

Jeet, Justin ^[1]; Schneider, Christian ^[1]; Sullivan, Scott T. ^[1]; Rellergert, Wade G. ^[1]; Mirzadeh, Saed ^[2]; Cassanho, A. ^[3]; Jenssen, H. P. ^[3]; Tkalya, Eugene V. ^[4]; Hudson, Eric R. ^[1]

Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Nuclear Security and Isotope Technology Division
AC Materials, Inc., Tarpon Springs, FL (United States)
Lomonosov Moscow State Univ., Moscow (Russia). Skobeltsyn Inst. of Nuclear Physics

We report the results of a direct search for the ²²⁹Tn (I^π = 3/2⁺ ← 5/2⁺) nuclear isomeric transition, performed by exposing ²²⁹Tn-doped LiSrAlF₆ crystals to tunable vacuum-ultraviolet synchrotron radiation and observing any resulting fluorescence. We also use existing nuclear physics data to establish a range of possible transition strengths for the isomeric transition. We find no evidence for the thorium nuclear transition between 7.3 eV and 8.8 eV with transition lifetime (1–2) s≲τ≲ (2000-5600) s. Lastly, this measurement excludes roughly half of the favored transition search area and can be used to direct future searches.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; AC02-05CH11231; W911NF-11-1-0369; PHY-1205311; 60NANB14D302; 20112810

OSTI ID:: 1327579

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1198511

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 114, Issue 25; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 73 works

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