STUDIES IN THE ACTIVE DEPOSIT OF ACTINIUM: PART II: THE DECAY OF 211Pb (AcB)

Abstract

Studies of the active deposit of actinium using a Siegbahn–Slatis beta-ray spectrometer and scintillation counters together with gamma–gamma coincidence work and gamma–gamma angular correlation measurements have led to the establishment of a new decay scheme for 211Pb and a level scheme for 211Bi involving five excited states.The gamma rays have the following energies and absolute intensities:[Formula: see text]Conversion-line studies yielded energy values for the transitions marked with an asterisk as 403.3 ± 0.5 and 426.5 ± 0.5 keV respectively. The K conversion coefficients of the 400- and 430-keV transitions have been determined as 0.091 ± 0.018 and 0.117 ± 0.024 respectively.Fermi analysis yields 1.378 MeV as the highest end-point energy of the beta partial spectra. The remaining end points and the component intensities as deduced from the level scheme are as follows:[Formula: see text]The much less accurate results from Fermi analysis of the complete active deposit are in reasonable agreement with these data.Angular correlation studies of the 430–400- and 706–400-keV gamma-ray cascades have yielded spins for the levels concerned: ground level (9/2), 400-keV level (7/2), 830-keV level (9/2), and 1 100-keV level (7/2). These spins are the only ones consistent with the experimental evidence and the theoretical arguments presented.