Nuclear beta decay

Introduction

Energy release

Fermi theory of -decay

Shape of

spectrum (Kurie plot)

Total decay rate

Selection rules

Neutrino mass

Summary

Introduction
Basic process: conversion of a proton to a neutron or of a neutron to a proton. Both Z and N change by one unit: Z Z 1, N N 1, so that A = Z+N remains constant slide down the mass parabola.

: emission of an : emission of a

EC: capture of an orbital electron (in competition with

In case of

emission, continuous energy spectrum:

   
     
   ! # $&% ' ( )+*-,.

Energy release
     
         "
  /10 ( )+* 2 4 3 ,5. / ' 6 7

  
  8  !  "
       
     5 !  
      9      
   !  "
 9   : # $<; ' ( )+*=,>. /?0 ( )+* 0 3@,. / ' ACB DE2 6 7
Electron capture

# F ' ( )+*-,5. /?0 ( )+* 2 34,. / ' 6 7 2 G H

60

Co

22

Q( ) = 2.8 MeV

Na

2me

EC

60

Ni

22

Ne

Q( ) = 2.8 MeV

Fermi theory of -decay

Treat the decay-causing interaction as a weak perturbation, nd a relationship for the transition rate: Fermis Golden Rule

9 L M J NPORQ H N 9 S  )6 Q / I ' K Y Z DY Z \^ Y ] W H`_ O ' T&( Q H C O Q H ' T U VXW=Q[ O b S )6 Q / ' a a+: c : density of nal states
Taking the and d wave functions as plane waves, expanding the exponentials andHfkeeping rst term gives the ale h j e k 3 the gi 2 l[n m o p m 2 qrqrq ). lowed approximation ( Taking into account the nuclear Coulomb eld and higher order terms in the exponential expansion yields the partial decay rate:

: total decay rate

_sI ' t ) n / u

nw 9 )# xz0 y v D / 9 { w |~}} H |z} H  Q  }5j D j 

)+*?, n / N ( Q H N 9 ) n ,/ xzy { H w xzy { H Q b } b Q5 j j5j5

Including phase space yields (density of nal states):

_sI '

 c )+* , n / n 9 )# 0 v D / 9 _ n 9J L M

Shape of

spectrum (Kurie plot)

g  g !  g  v D
gives a straight line intercept-

In the allowed approximation, we can rewrite:

# 0 v D u
Plotting

ing the x-axis at the decay energy Q

g  g !  g 

against

Kurie (or Fermi)-plot.

In the case of forbidden decays, the Kurie plot can be linearized by the correction factor ?8 .

Total decay rate

To nd the total decay rate, integrate over all values of the electron momentum p.

I ' '

g  + ) * , n / n 9 )# 0 v D / 9 _ n  c U 7 ^ 9KJ L M ) * ,6 7 / L M c + and 9J * only depends on 6 7

)+* ,6 7/ u U 7 g  )+* , n / n 9 )6 7 0 6 D / 9 _ n

and the maximum electron total energy and is called the Fermi integral. It is tabulated in Feenberg and Trigg diagrams. We can also write it as:

)+* ,6 7 / where

LM 9 J  f9 ' q c   
is called the Comparative half-life or ft value. This quan( Q H N9 N tity gives an indication on the matrix element responsible for the transition. Because the range in 9 is very large, T  74) & / what is usually quoted is the value of with t given in seconds. Depending on the selection rules one obtains typical ft-values.

f9

Selection rules

Allowed and superallowed transitions: = NO, = 0 Fermi (singulet) = NO, = 0, 3 , (no ) Gamov-Teller (triplet) T  7 k q superallowed: mirror decays T  7 k 0 allowed : +  n Example: , O N

' A Once forbidden (unique if = YES, = 0, 1, 2 T  7 k 0 3  )   / Example: N O 9 9

Twice forbidden (unique) = NO, = 2, 3

k 3sA 0 3 T 7   Example: Cs

) Ba 9 9

Forbidden decays are less probable because they contain an orbital angular momentum change. Example: 6 7 ) / = 1 MeV, n  = 1.4 MeV/c, R = 3 fm pR = 4.2 fm MeV/c = 0.2 1

Neutrino mass
Looking at the endpoint energy of the -spectrum is a method to determine the neutrino mass (upper limit is now 17 eV). Taking the neutrino mass into account yields for the decay rate:

_sI '

c + ) * , n / n 9 )# 0 v D / 9  > 9KJ L M # 0 v D

= 0), if

 _ n 3 0 8   a ag
. If

At the endpoint ( then

a ag

B \

=0 then

B \ '

Summary

Based on Fermis Golden Rule (perturbation theory)

-spectrum is a continuous spectrum (3 body process)

7 ) T  4 / -values allows one to predict the spin and parity

of nuclear states

Powerfull spectroscopic tool (but complicated)