High precision half-life measurement of $^{147}$Sm $α$ decay from thin-film sources

Abstract

An investigation of the α-decay of $^{147}$Sm was performed using an ultra low-background Twin Frisch-Grid Ionisation Chamber (TF-GIC). Four natural samarium samples were produced using pulsed laser deposition in ultra high vacuum. The abundance of the $^{147}$Sm isotope was mea- sured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A combined half-life value for 147Sm of $1.079(26)\times{}10^{11}$ years was measured. A search for the α-decay into the first excited state of $^{143}$Nd has been performed using $γ$-spectroscopy, resulting in a lower half-life limit of $T_{1/2} > 3.1 \times{}10^{18}$ years (at 90% C.L.).