Estimate of the half-lives of 42 radionuclides used to calibrate detectors and search for the optimal procedure for determining the final errors of the estimated values

Abstract: During a reestimation of the half-lives of 42 radionuclides used to calibrate x-ray and γ-ray detectors a comparison was made between statistical procedures for obtaining the final errors of the estimated values. A rule is proposed for regulating the errors of the estimated values which assumes an increase in the error as a function of the mutual consistency of a set of data determined by the χ² value.