Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: At Carleton College an important undergraduate laboratory experiment involves the neutron activation of silver. Using a neutron howitzer, thermal neutrons are aimed at US quarter coins that were made before 1965, and hence contain 107 Ag and 109 Ag. These two isotopes occur naturally in almost equal proportions. After neutron activation 108 Ag and 110 Ag are created, which then decay with half-lives of 143 s and 24.6 s respectively. The students measure the decay rate, of both isotopes combined, with Geiger counters. Here we present a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method to estimate the half-lives of the two silver isotopes. We use real data to derive the half-lives, but we also use simulated data to highlight the features of the data analysis technique. This presentation is intended for undergraduate physics teachers such that they may introduce parameter estimation to their students in their laboratory based classes. The code has been made publicly available.
Source: European Journal of Physics
Authors: Renate Meyer, Nelson Christensen, Jay Tasson
Language: English
Subfield: Radiation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,325
OpenAlex ID: W7220685355