The research team observed electron capture decay of technetium-98 for the first time. Through this process, a nucleus absorbs an electron from its inner shell, combining it with a proton to create a neutron, thereby converting the element to another. This experimental confirmation addresses a theory held since the 1990s but previously unverified due to technetium-98's scarcity.
Researchers conducted measurements using about three grams of technetium-99, which contained approximately 0.06 micrograms of technetium-98. Over a 17-day period at the Clover measuring station of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, the team recorded about 40,000 electron capture decay events. Lead shielding, developed for this experiment, sharply reduced technetium-99's radiation background, allowing clear detection of the rare technetium-98 signals.
Findings indicate that technetium-98 mainly decays to ruthenium-98, with molybdenum-98 produced through electron capture in about 0.3 per cent of cases. "For us, this represents a small yet significant contribution to the broader understanding of nuclear physics," stated group leader PD Dr Erik Strub from the Department of Chemistry. "Such precise evidence helps us better understand the stability and structure of atomic nuclei and to gradually complete the chart of nuclides piece by piece."
The study enhances the fundamental understanding of nuclear decay mechanisms. Future research will target comparable rare decay processes in neighboring nuclides to uncover systematic behaviors across the chart of nuclides. The next edition of the map will mark a new red corner for technetium-98, symbolizing its newly confirmed decay pathway.
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