Measurement of nuclear half-lives up to 100 s by the delayed coincidence method

Abstract To extend the applicability of the delayed coincidence method to the determination of half-lives up to 100 s, a small on-line computer has been programmed to work as a time analysing system with negligible dead time. The feasibility of measurements of such long half-lives is discussed in detail and compared to that of conventional time analyzers. The half-lives of the 1315.2 keV level in 177 Hf ( T 1/2 =1.08±0.06 s), of the 1663.1 keV level in 209 Pb ( T 1/2 =0.77±0.03 s ) and of the ground state of 144 In ( T 1/2 =73±16 s) have been remeasured using this new method.