Search for Variations of Po-213 Half-Life

TL;DR

This study investigated potential daily variations in the half-life of Po-213 using a specialized device over 622 days, finding small amplitude variations linked to solar, lunar, and sidereal cycles, and confirming the known half-life value.

Contribution

The paper presents the first search for Po-213 half-life variations correlated with celestial cycles and provides precise measurements over an extended period.

Findings

Detected small amplitude daily variations in Po-213 half-life.

Measured the half-life as 3.705 microseconds, consistent with literature.

Observed potential correlations with solar, lunar, and sidereal cycles.

Abstract

A device with the parent $^{229}$Th source was constructed to search for variations of the daughter $^{213}$Po half-life ($T_{1/2} = 4.2$ $\mu$s). A solar-daily variation with amplitude $A_{So}=(5.3 \pm 1.1) \times 10^{-4}$, a lunar-daily variation with amplitude $A_L = (4.8 \pm 2.1) \times 10^{-4}$, and a sidereal-daily variation with amplitude $A_S = (4.2 \pm 1.7) \times 10^{-4}$ were found upon proceeding the data series over a 622-day interval (from July 2015 to March 2017). The $^{213}$Po half-life mean value is found to be $T_{1/2} = 3.705 \pm 0.001$ $\mu$s. The obtained half-life is in good agreement with some of the literature values obtained with great accuracy.