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Efficient production of $^{229m}$Th via nuclear excitation by electron capture
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- The nuclear isomeric state $^{229m}$Th with an exceptionally low excitation energy makes the $^{229}$Th isotope a crucial candidate for nuclear clocks and many other applications. Efficient and controllable production of $^{229m}$Th is essential and still remains a challenge. Here we report a novel approach for efficient production of $^{229m}$Th by the excitation of $^{229}$Th to the above-lying excited state at $29.19$ keV energy via the process of nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC). We show theoretically that the production rate of $^{229m}$Th per nucleus with accessible conditions can be six orders of magnitude larger than the value experimentally demonstrated using $29$-keV synchrotron radiation for this indirect excitation. With the efficient production of $^{229m}$Th, our results identify scenarios, as well as the characteristic NEEC signature with which NEEC events could be unambiguously identified, for a clear experimental identification of the long-sought NEEC phenomenon.<br />Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures
- Subjects :
- Nuclear Theory
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.2406.12497
- Document Type :
- Working Paper