On the recent claim of correlation between radioactive decay rates and space weather

Abstract

In recent literature, several authors have challenged the validity of the exponential-decay law, based on observed variations in radioactive decay rate measurements beyond statistical accuracy. Tentative explanations have been sought in external interferences influencing the decay process, such as interactions of the nuclei with solar and cosmic neutrinos. Given the important implications of such statements on theoretical and practical level, one would expect that they are backed up with radionuclide metrology of the highest quality. In reality, they share the common traits of using poor metrology and incomplete uncertainty analysis with respect to the stability of the measurement technique. In this paper, new claims of correlations between decay rates and space weather are questioned.

Reply to: Role of ambient humidity underestimated in research on correlation between radioactive decay rates and space weather

“…Pommé and Pelczar developed a “toy model” 6 which shows that the calculated humidity correlates generally well with our measurements of nuclear decay and capacitance.…”

On the interpretation of annual oscillations in 32Si and 36Cl decay rate measurements

“…The overall excellent match between activity and weather data underlines the impact of humidity and temperature on the relative detection efficiency in the G–M counter. In recent research, the importance of humidity on a G–M counter has been demonstrated quite convincingly through a simple humidity accumulation model, in a case where decay rate changes had been erroneously associated with space weather 21 , 22 .…”

Role of ambient humidity underestimated in research on correlation between radioactive decay rates and space weather

“…There appears to be a positive correlation between the humidity and the observed decay rates. This is even more striking when applying a toy physical model in which the humidity data are accumulated as moisture in the set-up 16 , shown as a line overlaid on the decay rates in Fig. 1 .…”

“…The moisture model has also been applied to the other decay rate measurements, the background measurements, as well as the additional tests performed on the capacitance of the detector cable and a reference capacitance 16 . On a qualitative level, positive correlations were observed in every case.…”

“…Consequently, the measurement data do not reflect physical changes in the decay constants caused by ‘space weather’, but a difference in response of the electronics to changing ‘terrestrial weather’ conditions.

Figure 2 Six examples of decay rate/capacitance measurements compared to the humidity model 16 .

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