A new analysis method to determine beta-decay half-lives in experiments with complex background

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel analysis technique for accurately measuring beta-decay half-lives of exotic nuclei in complex background conditions, overcoming limitations of standard tools.

Contribution

A new analysis method utilizing time correlations and Monte Carlo simulations to extract half-lives and detection efficiencies in challenging experimental backgrounds.

Findings

Successfully applied to measure beta-decay half-lives of exotic nuclei.

Demonstrated improved accuracy over traditional methods.

Validated with experimental data under complex background conditions.

Abstract

This paper reports the first application of a new technique to measure the beta-decay half -lives of exotic nuclei in complex background conditions. Since standard tools were not adapted to extract the relevant information, a new analysis method was developed. The time distribution of background events is established by recording time correlations in backward time. The beta half lives of the nuclides and the detection efficiency of the set-up are determined simultaneously from a least-squares fit of the ratio of the time-correlation spectra recorded in forward and in backward time, using numerical functions. The necessary numerical functions are calculated in a Monte-Carlo code using the known operation parameters of the experiment and different values for the two free parameters, half-life and detection efficiency, as input parameters.