Measurement of the 71Ge half-life using a silicon drift detector

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Contributors

Abstract

In the search for possible explanations for the discrepancy between the measured and expected neutrino flux in gallium-based radiochemical neutrino detectors, known as the gallium anomaly, the half-life of 71Ge plays a crucial role. While new theories in neutrino physics are being explored, variations in the 71Ge half-life could also influence this discrepancy and its statistical significance. To evaluate the current literature value, a disc-shaped sample of germanium with natural isotope abundance was measured. The germanium disc was irradiated with thermal neutrons at the TRIGA reactor at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. The actvated sample was brought to Dresden where Kα and Kβ X-rays from the decay of 71Ge were measured over several months using a silicon drift detector. The resulting count rate was fitted with an exponential decay curve, from which the half-life was determined. The result is compared to other 71Ge half-life measurements and placed in the context of the gallium anomaly.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2025
Peer-reviewedNo

Symposium

TitleDPG Spring Meeting 2025
Subtitleof the Divisions Hadronic and Nuclear Physics, Mass Spectrometry and the Working Group “Young DPG”
Duration10 - 14 March 2025
Website
LocationUniversität zu Köln
CityKöln
CountryGermany

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-6705-7138/work/188000136