P. V. Borisyuk, U. N. Kurel'chuk, O. S. Vasil'ev, V. I. Troyan, Yu. Yu. Lebedinskii, E. V. Tkalya, “Surface physicochemical properties and decay of the low-lying isomer in the <sup>229</sup>Th nucleus”, Kvantovaya Elektronika, 2018, Volume 48, Number 5,Pages <nobr>460

This article is cited in 3 papers

Special issue 'Physics of ultracold atoms and their applications'

Surface physicochemical properties and decay of the low-lying isomer in the ²²⁹Th nucleus

P. V. Borisyuk^a, U. N. Kurel'chuk^a, O. S. Vasil'ev^a, V. I. Troyan^a, Yu. Yu. Lebedinskii^ab, E. V. Tkalya^cda

^a National Engineering Physics Institute "MEPhI", Moscow
^b Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow region
^c Lomonosov Moscow State University, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics
^d Nuclear Safety Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Abstract: The effect of the ²²⁹Th nucleus proximity to the CsI surface on the decay probability of its anomalously low lying isomeric level is studied. Results of experimental and theoretical studies show that the CsI surface does not produce chemical bonding with Th and does not noticeably change its valence shells. Hence, it is an optimal substrate for measuring the probability of the ²²⁹Th isomer state decay via internal electron conversion. The half-life of the ²²⁹Th^m isomer in the thorium atom is calculated for neutral chemical environment.

Keywords: thorium, nuclear transition, surface atoms, internal electron conversion, electron spectroscopy.

Received: 21.02.2018