Measurement of the half-life of 198Au in a non-metal: High-precision measurement shows no host-material dependence

TL;DR

This study precisely measured the half-life of 198Au in a non-metallic environment and found no significant difference compared to metallic environments, challenging previous predictions of host-material dependence.

Contribution

The paper provides high-precision measurements of 198Au half-life in a non-metal, demonstrating no host-material dependence and refuting earlier theoretical predictions.

Findings

Half-life of 198Au in non-metal: 2.6948(9) days

No significant difference between metallic and non-metal environments

Contradicts previous predictions of host-material influence

Abstract

We have measured the half-life of the beta decay of 198Au to be 2.6948(9) d, with the nuclide sited in an insulating environment. Comparing this result with the half-life we measured previously with a metallic environment, we find the half-lives in both environments to be the same within 0.04%, thus contradicting a prediction that screening from a "plasma" of quasi-free electrons in a metal increases the half-life by as much as 7%.