Comparison of experimental and theoretical high multipole-order internal conversion coefficients

Abstract

Sixty-four accurately measured (1σ ⩽ 5%) internal conversion coefficients (ICCs) of high multipole-order (E3, M3, E4, M4) gamma-transitions have been compared with the theoretical values of Rösel et al. and Hager and Seltzer. Individual measurements were carefully examined and modified, if necessary. The discrepancies among the experimental values and the Rösel calculations tend to fall within a narrow band and do not reveal any dependence on atomic number, shell or transition energy. However, discrepancies between the experimental data and the calculations of Hager and Seltzer depend on transition energy, viz., increases up to 10% occur when the transition energy approaches the K binding energy. The calculations of Rösel et al. are preferred, and it is proposed that their third and fourth order ICCs are multiplied by factors of 0.975±0.010 and 0.975±0.005 respectively, to give better agreement with the experimental data. The accuracy of the corrected theoretical values is higher than most of the experimental data. This comparison also implies that the recommended source of ICCs and total transition probabilities needs to be reconsidered by the International Nuclear Structure and Decay Data Network.