A delayed-coincidence spectrometer system was used to measure nuclear lifetimes in the picosecond region by the centroid-shift method. Timing signals were derived from two plastic scintillators; each plastic scintillator was located within a specially constructed NaI(Tl) detector. Each NaI(Tl) detector was used to detect the gamma ray which Compton scattered from an associated plastic scintillator. Energy identification was achieved by summing the signals from the plastic and the NaI(Tl) detectors to give full energy gamma-ray photopeaks. To test the effectiveness of the system, the half-lives of the first excited state of 134Ba and the first and second excited states of 144Nd were measured. The half life of the first excited state of 134Ba was measured as 4.4 - 1.3 psec; this result is in agreement with a previously reported value of 5.0 t 1.5 psec. The half-life for the first excited state of 144Nd was determined to be 1.5 ± 1.0 psec while the half-life for the second excited. state of 144Nd was determined to be 5.1 ± 0.5 psec. The half-life value for the second excited state of 144Nd is in disagreement with previously reported values of 21 ± 2 psec and 100 ± 30 psec which were also determined by delayed-coincidence methods. Although the result of 1.5 ± 1.0 psec for the first excited state lifetime differed from a previous result of 3.4 * 0.1 psec obtained by Coulomb excitation, this difference was due to the inability of the present spectrometer system to resolve the 618- and 696-keV gamma rays of 144Nd. It is concluded that a lower lifetime limit measurable with the system described in this study is about one picosecond, provided that the gamma rays can be resolved in the sum energy spectrum of the plastic and NaI(T1) detectors.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/180846 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Collins, Jack P. |
| Contributors | Ober, David R. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | v, 53 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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