Measurements of the half-life of 214Po and 218Rn using digital electronics

The half-lives of 214Po and 218Rn have been measured. The radionuclides were produced in the decay of a 230U source and the emitted alpha-particles were measured in nearly-2π geometry with an ion-implanted planar silicon detector. The data acquisition was performed with a digitiser operated in list mode, saving the energy and time of detection (10 ns precision timestamp) of each event. The half-lives were deduced from the time differences between the alpha-decays populating the nuclide of interest and those corresponding to its decay. Different methods were applied, based on delayed coincidence counting and time-interval distribution analysis. The resulting half-lives are 33.75 (15) ms for 218Rn and 164.2 (6) μs for 214Po, both in agreement with some of the literature values, and obtained with higher precision in this work.

► Measured half-lives of 214Po 33.75 (15) ms, and 218Rn 164.2 (6) μs. ► Results consistent with literature, but uncertainty now reduced. ► Used digital data acquisition to analyse delayed coincidences.