Year: 1981
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Isotope-dilution mass spectrometry has been used at Los Alamos to measure the half-lives of /sup 239/Pu, /sup 240/Pu, and /sup 241/Pu. The latter was determined by measuring the rate of decrease of the /sup 241/Pu//sup 242/Pu ratio in an appropriate isotopic mixture over a period of several years. The half-lives of the two lighter isotopes are too long to be determined in this manner. They were determined by measuring the rate of production of the uranium daughter relative to a known added /sup 233/U spike. Experimental procedures were designed to control sources of error and to permit a detailed statistical treatment which included all known sources of error and accounted for all covariances. The uncertainties, at the 95% confidence level, associated with the measured half-lives were less than 0.4% for /sup 241/Pu and less than 0.2% for /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu.
Authors: Abernathey, R.M., Marsh, S.F.
Language: English
Subfield: Radiation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W173093785