The Decay of 169Yb

Abstract

The decay of 169Yb was investigated using several Ge(Li) detectors of different sizes. The following gamma rays (energies in keV and intensities within brackets) were definitely identified with the 169Yb decay: 20.7 (0.66 ± 0.04), 63.1 (124 ± 5), 93.6 (7.2 ± 0.3), 109.8 (50 ± 2), 117.3 (0.08 ± 0.04), 118.2 (5.4 ± 0.2), 130.5 (34 ± 2), 156.7 (0.023 ± 0.004), 177.2(59 ± 3), 198.0 (100), 240.4 (0.33 ± 0.02), 261.0 (4.7 ± 0.2), and 307.7 (28 ± 1). The recently reported weak gamma-ray peaks at 515 (0.008 ± 0.002) and 625 (0.010 ± 0.002) were also observed and could not be ruled out as not belonging to 169Yb. The recently reported gamma-ray peaks at 140, 160, 207, 288, 295, 316, 320, 328, 355, 371, 379, 396, and 417 were detected and shown not to be from the decay of 169Yb while those at 218, 229, 285, 304, 335, 388, 411, and 425 were not observed and upper limits were placed on their intensities. The presence of very weak peaks at 515 and 625 establishes the formation of the 633 keV state of 169Tm following electron capture decay of 169Yb as reported by George. (This level has been previously observed only in Coulomb excitation of 169Tm.) The total internal conversion coefficient for the 20.7 keV transition was determined for the first time from the direct measurement of the gamma-ray intensity as 51 ± 10 corresponding to an M1 transition.