High-precision half-life determination of $^{14}$O via direct $\beta$ counting

TL;DR

This paper reports a highly precise measurement of the $^{14}$O half-life using direct beta counting, significantly improving the accuracy of previous data and refining the world average.

Contribution

The study provides the most precise $^{14}$O half-life measurement to date, reducing uncertainty and enhancing the data used for nuclear physics and fundamental tests.

Findings

Measured $^{14}$O half-life as 70619.2(76) ms

Reduced the overall uncertainty of the world average by nearly a factor of 2

Achieved a consistent and more precise world average of 70619.6(63) ms

Abstract

The half-life of the superallowed Fermi $\beta^+$ emitter $^{14}$O was determined to high precision via a direct $\beta$ counting experiment performed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) facility at TRIUMF. The result, $T_{1/2}$($^{14}$O) = 70619.2(76) ms, is consistent with, but is more precise than, the world average obtained from 11 previous measurements. Combining the $^{14}$O half-life deduced in the present work with the previous most precise measurements of this quantity leads to a reduction in the overall uncertainty, by nearly a factor of 2. The new world average is $T_{1/2}$($^{14}$O) = 70619.6(63) ms with a reduced $\chi^2$ value of 0.87 obtained from 8 degrees of freedom.