On the validity of the Geiger–Nuttall alpha-decay law and its microscopic basis

C. Qi; A.N. Andreyev; M. Huyse; R.J. Liotta; P. Van Duppen; R. Wyss

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2014.05.066

On the validity of the Geiger–Nuttall alpha-decay law and its microscopic basis

C. Qi, A.N. Andreyev, M. Huyse, R.J. Liotta, P. Van Duppen, R. Wyss

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Abstract The Geiger–Nuttall (GN) law relates the partial α-decay half-life with the energy of the escaping α particle and contains for every isotopic chain two experimentally determined coefficients. The expression is supported by several phenomenological approaches, however its coefficients lack a fully microscopic basis. In this paper we will show that: (1) the empirical coefficients that appear in the GN law have a deep physical meaning, and (2) the GN law is successful within the restricted experimental data sets available so far, but is not valid in general. We will show that, when the dependence of logarithm values of the α formation probability on the neutron number is not linear or constant, the GN law is broken. For the α decay of neutron-deficient nucleus 186Po, the difference between the experimental half-life and that predicted by the GN law is as large as one order of magnitude.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	203-206
Number of pages	4
Journal	Physics Letters B
Volume	734
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2014.05.066
Publication status	Published - 27 Jun 2014

Keywords

Alpha decay
Geiger–Nuttall law
Formation probability
Clustering

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10.1016/j.physletb.2014.05.066

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314003761

Cite this

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title = "On the validity of the Geiger–Nuttall alpha-decay law and its microscopic basis",

abstract = "Abstract The Geiger–Nuttall (GN) law relates the partial α-decay half-life with the energy of the escaping α particle and contains for every isotopic chain two experimentally determined coefficients. The expression is supported by several phenomenological approaches, however its coefficients lack a fully microscopic basis. In this paper we will show that: (1) the empirical coefficients that appear in the GN law have a deep physical meaning, and (2) the GN law is successful within the restricted experimental data sets available so far, but is not valid in general. We will show that, when the dependence of logarithm values of the α formation probability on the neutron number is not linear or constant, the GN law is broken. For the α decay of neutron-deficient nucleus 186Po, the difference between the experimental half-life and that predicted by the GN law is as large as one order of magnitude.",

keywords = "Alpha decay, Geiger–Nuttall law, Formation probability, Clustering",

author = "C. Qi and A.N. Andreyev and M. Huyse and R.J. Liotta and {Van Duppen}, P. and R. Wyss",

year = "2014",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - On the validity of the Geiger–Nuttall alpha-decay law and its microscopic basis

AU - Qi, C.

AU - Andreyev, A.N.

AU - Huyse, M.

AU - Liotta, R.J.

AU - Van Duppen, P.

AU - Wyss, R.

PY - 2014/6/27

Y1 - 2014/6/27

N2 - Abstract The Geiger–Nuttall (GN) law relates the partial α-decay half-life with the energy of the escaping α particle and contains for every isotopic chain two experimentally determined coefficients. The expression is supported by several phenomenological approaches, however its coefficients lack a fully microscopic basis. In this paper we will show that: (1) the empirical coefficients that appear in the GN law have a deep physical meaning, and (2) the GN law is successful within the restricted experimental data sets available so far, but is not valid in general. We will show that, when the dependence of logarithm values of the α formation probability on the neutron number is not linear or constant, the GN law is broken. For the α decay of neutron-deficient nucleus 186Po, the difference between the experimental half-life and that predicted by the GN law is as large as one order of magnitude.

AB - Abstract The Geiger–Nuttall (GN) law relates the partial α-decay half-life with the energy of the escaping α particle and contains for every isotopic chain two experimentally determined coefficients. The expression is supported by several phenomenological approaches, however its coefficients lack a fully microscopic basis. In this paper we will show that: (1) the empirical coefficients that appear in the GN law have a deep physical meaning, and (2) the GN law is successful within the restricted experimental data sets available so far, but is not valid in general. We will show that, when the dependence of logarithm values of the α formation probability on the neutron number is not linear or constant, the GN law is broken. For the α decay of neutron-deficient nucleus 186Po, the difference between the experimental half-life and that predicted by the GN law is as large as one order of magnitude.

KW - Alpha decay

KW - Geiger–Nuttall law

KW - Formation probability

KW - Clustering

U2 - 10.1016/j.physletb.2014.05.066

DO - 10.1016/j.physletb.2014.05.066

M3 - Article

VL - 734

SP - 203

EP - 206

JO - Physics Letters B

JF - Physics Letters B

SN - 0370-2693

ER -