The measurement of the half-life of the second excited state of 237Np with a new detector system and digital electronics.

The half-life of the second excited state (5/2− at 59.54 keV) of 237Np was measured with high precision and reliability using the coincidence method with fast scintillators and a fully digital-based electronic data acquisition system. The alpha particle from an 241Am source was measured in coincidence with the gamma rays emitted by the daughter 237Np nucleus. This measurement also illustrates the use of new LYSO(Ce) scintillators in particle-gamma experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]