Exploring production and decay dynamics of thorium-229 (229Th) isomer for ultra-precise nuclear clocks (IMAGE)

Okayama University

Exploring production and decay dynamics of thorium-229 (229Th) isomer for ultra-precise nuclear clocks

Caption

 (Left) The VUV signal immediately after X-ray beam irradiation on 229Th doped CaF2 crystal vs. irradiation time. The VUV signal according to irradiation time reaches its saturation value faster than the expected decay half-life by a factor of about 10. (Right) The observed temporal profile of the isomeric decay signal with a half-life of ~ 450 seconds. This suggests that the isomeric state decays faster during X-ray irradiation, indicating quenching.

 

Credit

Assistant Professor Takahiro Hiraki from Okayama University, Japan https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49631-0

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