Precise measurement of the 222Rn half-life: a probe to monitor the stability of radioactivity

TL;DR

This study precisely measured the 222Rn half-life underground to monitor radioactivity stability, finding no variation and providing the most accurate value to date, which aids in understanding nuclear decay processes.

Contribution

It introduces a method for short-term half-life measurement of radon, demonstrating high precision and addressing fluctuations previously attributed to solar influences.

Findings

No detectable change in 222Rn half-life within 8×10^-5 precision.

Most precise 222Rn half-life value: 3.82146(16) days.

Periodical fluctuations in radon gamma count rates are not due to half-life variations.

Abstract

We give the results of a study on the 222Rn decay we performed in the Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) by detecting the gamma rays from the radon progeny. The motivation was to monitor the stability of radioactivity measuring several times per year the half-life of a short lifetime (days) source instead of measuring over a long period the activity of a long lifetime (tens or hundreds of years) source. In particular, we give a possible reason of the large periodical fluctuations in the count rate of the gamma rays due to radon inside a closed canister which has been described in literature and which has been attributed to a possible influence of a component in the solar irradiation affecting the nuclear decay rates. We then provide the result of four half-life measurements we performed underground at LNGS in the period from May 2014 to January 2015 with radon diffused into olive oil. Briefly, we did not measure any change of the 222Rn half-life with a 8*10^-5 precision. Finally, we provide the most precise value for the 222Rn half-life: 3.82146(16){stat}(4){syst} days.