Double Beta Decay of Tellurium-130

Author

J. F. Richardson
Oliver Manuel, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
Biswajit Sinha
Ralph I. Thorpe

Abstract

The isotopic composition of xenon is reported in four, neutron-irradiated tellurium minerals - tellurobismuthite from Boliden, Sweden, native tellurium from the Good Hope Mine of Gunnison County, Colorado, altaite from the Kirkland Lake area, Ontario, and altaite from the Mattagami Lake area, Quebec. From the amount of radiogenic ¹³⁰Xe and pile-produced ¹³¹Xe in these samples, it is concluded that the half-life of ¹³⁰Te for ββ-decay is ≲ 1 × 10²¹ y based on measured values of (1.0 ± 0.3) × 10²¹ y and higher. Our results demonstrate that there has been no significant partial leakage of radiogenic ¹³⁰Xe from these minerals over geologic time. Larger values of T_{1 2} as indicated from some of the analysis reported here and in other studies, are attributed to recrystallization of the soft telluride minerals and complete resetting of the TeXe system after mineralization. The value obtained here for the half-life of ¹³⁰Te is substantiated by recent measurements on xenon in tellurides from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

Recommended Citation

J. F. Richardson et al., "Double Beta Decay of Tellurium-130," Nuclear Physics A, vol. 453, pp. 26 - 44, Elsevier, May 1986.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-9474(86)90027-8

Department(s)

Chemistry

Keywords and Phrases

Radioactivity

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0375-9474

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1986 Elsevier, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 May 1986