A precise measurement of the 117mSn half-life

The 117mSn isotope was produced via fast, 14.1 MeV neutron activation of natural tin and studied with a background shielded HPGe detector. To enable time-resolved γ-ray spectroscopy to precisely measure the half-life of 117mSn, a commercial DAQ was replaced with a CAMAC-based analogue DAQ. The deadtime response of the applied DAQ was verified for the measurement. The half-life of 117mSn was measured to be 13.91±0.03 days and the I(158.6 keV)/I(156.0 keV) γ-ray ratio was measured to be 43.6±1.5.