Decay studies of neutron-rich radium and actinium isotopes, including the new nuclides 232Ra and 232,234Ac

doi:10.1016/0375-9474(86)90025-4

Nuclear Physics A

Volume 453, Issue 1, 12 May 1986, Pages 1-14

https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-9474(86)90025-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

Isotopes of the elements francium to neptunium were produced in multinucleon-transfer reactions of 11.4 MeV/u ²³⁸U ions with ^natW/Ta targets. On-line mass-separated samples were investigated by γ, X and β singles and coincidence measurements. New spectroscopic information was gained on the ²³¹Ac decay. For the first time, β-delayed γ-rays from ²³²Ra and ^232,233,234Ac were observed. Decay schemes for these isotopes are presented, and half-lives of the latter four nuclides were determined to be 250(50) s, 119(5) s, 145(10) s and 44(7) s, respectively. The comparison with theoretical half-life predictions gave remarkable agreement with gross-theory calculations.

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The present evaluation of currently known nine nuclides of A=231: (²³¹Rn, ²³³Fr, ²³¹Ra, ²³¹Ac, ²³¹Th, ²³¹Pa, ²³¹U, ²³¹Np and ²³¹Pu) represents an update and revision of previous A=231 evaluation by 2013Br04. All the known decay and reaction data are evaluated, with recommended properties given in the Adopted Levels, Gammas datasets, for gamma-ray energies, photon branching ratios, level half-lives, spins, parities, transition probabilities, and configuration assignments. For ²³¹Rn, only an identification of the nuclide has been made without an experimental determination of its half-life. For ²³¹Fr, no excited states are known. About 30 levels in ²³¹Ra up to 1774 keV excitation are known only from β⁻ decay of ²³¹Fr with level half-lives determined for five excited states. For ²³¹Ac, excited states up to 3122 keV are known from β⁻ decay, (t,α), and fragmentary information for high-spin levels from two heavy-ion reaction studies, with lifetimes of excited states measured for five levels. Extensive structure and rotational band information for ²³¹Th is available for a large number of levels up to 1714 keV from β⁻ and α decays, (n,γ) thermal and resonance, single-particle transfer reactions (d,p), (d,t) and (³He,α), with limited data for high-spin levels from one secondary reference, and half-lives available for five excited states. Very detailed structure data are available for ²³¹Pa up to 2139 keV from β⁻, ε and α decays, (α,t), (d,d′) and high-spin data from heavy-ion Coulomb excitation and (p,2nγ) reaction, with level half-lives known for 34 excited states, mostly deduced by evaluators from transition probabilities determined in Coulomb excitation. Only eight excited states are known in ²³¹U up to 1268 keV from ε and α decays, with no data for half-lives of excited states. For ²³¹Np and ²³¹Pu, only the ground-state is known from α decays, with a tentative level at 324 keV in ²³¹Pu. Measurements of nuclear rms charge radius and isotope shifts for ²³¹Ra have been made by 2018Ly01, and that for rms charge radius for ²³¹Fr by 2014Bu06.
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Statistical analysis of <sup>222</sup>Rn concentration in Zamzam and other water sources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Citation Excerpt :
Table 1 that contained all the experimental results in this study also revealed that the activity concentration of 222Rn in each water sample is controlled by the combined effect of temperature, and relative humidity that affects the duration time taken by the sample to reach the steady-state equilibrium for recording 222Rn by the detector. The other controlling factors affect the concentration of 222Rn in water sample are other water pollutants, such as total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, heavy metals (e.g., Zn(II), Fe(II), Hg(II), etc.), organic matter, total hydrocarbons, anions (e.g., sulfate, nitrate, phosphate), total alkalinity, and nutrients [6]. The 222Rn level in the tested water samples was measured in terms of Bq unit, the number of disintegrations of radionuclides per second, where (1 Bq = 1 disintegration/sec.) [15].
In the present study, six water samples were collected from different locations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and another sample from the Zamzam site in Makkah city. The concentration of the radioactive isotope ²²²Rn was measured using the electronic radon detector (RAD7). The comparative analysis study on these samples showed that the average concentration value in all samples was 0.504Bq/L. The data analysis showed that the concentration of ²²²Rn was ranged from 0.43 ± 0.06 Bq/L to 0.57 ± 0.060 Bq/L for all samples. These levels are below the contamination threshold (11.1 Bq/L) recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Interestingly, Radon radioactivity levels were lower than those harmful to human health. The principal component analysis (PCA) using (SPSS version 15) was used to reduce the four variables influencing the ²²²Rn activity concentration to two variables: temperature (correlation coefficient, R²: 0.984) and the relative humidity (RH%) (R²:-0.987). The increase in temperature reduces the solubility of ²²²Rn gas activity water and facilitates its detection, whereas increased the RH% increases its solubility and decreases the detection level of ²²²Rn activity concentration. The interaction between temperature and RH% does not affect the concentration of ²²²Rn.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A=233
2020, Nuclear Data Sheets
The present evaluation of the known A=233 nuclides (²³³Fr, ²³³Ra, ²³³Ac, ²³³Th, ²³³Pa, ²³³U, ²³³Np, ²³³Pu, ²³³Am, ²³³Cm) and ²³³Bk represents an update and revision, after 15 years of the previous evaluation of A=233 published by B. Singh and J.K. Tuli (2005Si15). Laboratory identification of ²³³Bk nuclide is still considered as tentative. Various decay and reaction data are evaluated and compared. Adopted data, levels, gammas, level half-lives, spins, parities, and configuration assignments are provided. For ²³³Fr, ²³³Ra, ²³³Ac, ²³³Pu, ²³³Am and ²³³Cm, information is available for the respective ground states only. The decay schemes from β⁻ decays of ²³³Fr and ²³³Ra, and from ε decay of ²³³Am and ²³³Cm are unknown, while those from β⁻ decay of ²³³Ac, and from ε decay of ²³³Np are considered incomplete. The α decay of ²³⁷Np to ²³³Pa has been studied in detail by many investigators, yet the decay scheme is considered incomplete as several very low-energy transitions are involved, without the knowledge of their intensities, resulting in mismatch of directly measured α feedings and those deduced from γ-transition intensity balances. The decay schemes from α decays of ²³⁷Am, ²³⁷Cm and ²³⁷Cf to respective A=233 daughters are considered incomplete. Particle-transfer and high-spin data are available for ²³³Th, ²³³Pa and ²³³U nuclei, which remain the most extensively studied in this mass chain. However, data for half-lives for the excited states are available only for one level in ²³³Pa, and for five levels in ²³³U, thus limiting the knowledge of reduced transition probabilities in this mass chain.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 227
2016, Nuclear Data Sheets
The evaluated spectroscopic data are presented for ten known nuclides of mass 227 (Po, At, Rn, Fr, Ra, Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np). For ²²⁷Po, ²²⁷At, ²²⁷Rn, ²²⁷Pa, ²²⁷U and ²²⁷Np nuclei, only the ground-state information is available. Their decay characteristics are mostly unknown. Levels in ²²⁷Fr are known only from the decay of ²²⁷Rn to ²²⁷Fr. This decay scheme at present cannot be normalized to deduce γ intensities per 100 decays due to lack of knowledge about multipolarities of many low-energy transitions. The levels in ²²⁷Ra, ²²⁷Ac and ²²⁷Th are known from several decays and reactions, including particle-transfer data for ²²⁷Ra and ²²⁷Ac. The decay scheme of ²²⁷Ra to ²²⁷Ac was last studied in 1971 using small Ge detectors. Improved γ-ray intensity data need to be obtained with a better γ-detection system. The datasets for ²²⁷Ac have undergone extensive revisions, including detailed data for 231Pa α decay from 1986BaYK report, and single-proton transfer data from 1986MaYU thesis. High-spin (J>13/2 or so) structures are known only for 227Th. Level lifetime data are quite scarce for all the nuclides in this mass chain, thus limiting the knowledge of reduced transition probabilities.
Band structures for ²²⁷Fr, ²²⁷Ra, ²²⁷Ac and ²²⁷Th are known in detail, together with evidence of weak octupole deformation and consequent parity-doublet structures.
This evaluation was carried out as part of a joint IAEA-ICTP workshop for Nuclear Structure and Decay Data, organized and hosted by the IAEA, Vienna and ICTP, Trieste, March 24–28, 2014. The evaluation work was coordinated by B. Singh (McMaster). This work supersedes previous A=227 evaluation (2001Br31) published by E. Browne which covered literature before May 2001.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 231
2013, Nuclear Data Sheets
Spectroscopic data for all nuclei with mass number $A = 231$ have been evaluated, and the corresponding level schemes from radioactive decay and reaction studies are presented.
Highlights of this evaluation include:
A new interpretation of γ–ray spectroscopic results measured with the GAMMASPHERE spectrometer (2002AbZV, 2000JaZY, 1999Br17) has established the level structure of the ground state rotational band $1 / 2 [400]$ up to spin/parity $45 / 2 +$ in ²³¹Ac.
Precise measurements of energies and cross sections of scattered tritons from the ²³²Th(d,t) reaction has produced or confirmed the identification of several rotational bands in ²³¹Th.
The alpha hindrance factors (HF) presented in this evaluation were calculated using values of the radius parameter $(r_{0})$ interpolated from those for even–even adjacent nuclei given in 1998Ak04.
The Limitation of Relative Statistical Weight (LWM) method (1985ZiZY) has been used for discrepant data throughout this evaluation.
Discovery of actinium, thorium, protactinium, and uranium isotopes
2013, Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables

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^☆: work supported in part by the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie.

^a: Present address: Institute of Physics, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.

^b: On leave of absence from: Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University, 00-681 Warsaw, Poland.

^c: Present address: RIFA AB, S-16381 Stockholm, Sweden.

^d: Partially supported by the Polish Ministery of Science, High Education and Technics, under contract MR.I.5.13.01.

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Decay studies of neutron-rich radium and actinium isotopes, including the new nuclides 232Ra and 232,234Ac☆

Abstract

Nucl. Phys.

Nucl. Phys

Phys. Lett.

Nucl. Phys.

J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem.

Phys. Lett.

Nucl. Instr. Meth.

Nucl. Data Sheets

At. Nucl. Data Tables

Nucl. Data Sheets

Nucl. Data Sheets

Nucl. Phys.

Nucl. Data Sheets

At. Nucl. Data Tables

At. Nucl. Data Tables

At. Nucl. Data Tables

Nucl. Phys.

Decay studies of neutron-rich radium and actinium isotopes, including the new nuclides ²³²Ra and ^232,234Ac☆