The Radioactive Decay of Calcium 47

Abstract

Spectrometric studies have been made of the beta and gamma radiations from calcium 47 (5.35 day) and its radioactive daughter scandium 47 (3.4 day). Using conversion and photoelectrons and the scintillation spectrometer, gamma rays of energy 149.5, 234, 495, 800, and 1303 kev are found in scandium following beta emission from the calcium. The beta spectrum is complex with energies of 0.46 and 1.4 Mev.Scandium 47 decays with a single allowed beta transition with upper energy limit of 0.64rb0.03 Mev and a single gamma ray of 159.5 kev. A satisfactory level scheme is proposed for the decay and checked in some of its details by coincidence observations. * This project received the joint support of the Office of Naval Research and the XJ. S. Atomic Energy Commission.