Rare K 40 Decay with Implications for Fundamental Physics and Geochronology

(KDK Collaboration)

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.052503

Rare K 40 Decay with Implications for Fundamental Physics and Geochronology

(KDK Collaboration)

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2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Potassium-40 is a widespread, naturally occurring isotope whose radioactivity impacts subatomic rare-event searches, nuclear structure theory, and estimated geological ages. A predicted electron-capture decay directly to the ground state of argon-40 has never been observed. The KDK (potassium decay) collaboration reports strong evidence of this rare decay mode. A blinded analysis reveals a nonzero ratio of intensities of ground-state electron-captures (IEC0) over excited-state ones (IEC∗) of IEC0/IEC∗=0.0095±stat0.0022±sys0.0010 (68% C.L.), with the null hypothesis rejected at 4σ. In terms of branching ratio, this signal yields IEC0=0.098%±stat0.023%±sys0.010%, roughly half of the commonly used prediction, with consequences for various fields [27L. Hariasz, companion paper, Phys. Rev. C 108, 014327 (2023)PRVCAN2469-998510.1103/PhysRevC.108.014327].

Original language	English
Article number	052503
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	131
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.052503
State	Published - Aug 4 2023

Funding

We are grateful to Xavier Mougeot of LNHB for drawing our attention to his latest evaluation of the decay scheme of . Engineering support has been contributed by Miles Constable and Fabrice Rétière of TRIUMF, as well as by Koby Dering through the NSERC/Queen’s MRS. Funding in Canada has been provided by NSERC through SAPIN and SAP RTI grants, as well as by the Faculty of Arts and Science of Queen’s University, and by the McDonald Institute. This work has been partially supported by U.S. DOE. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 for the U.S. Department of Energy. Thermal deposition was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. J. C., L. E. M., and P. R. R. acknowledge support from NSF Grant No. 2102788. U.S. support has also been supplied by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Physics and Applications, and by NSF Grant No. EAR-2102788. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.052503

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title = "Rare K 40 Decay with Implications for Fundamental Physics and Geochronology",

abstract = "Potassium-40 is a widespread, naturally occurring isotope whose radioactivity impacts subatomic rare-event searches, nuclear structure theory, and estimated geological ages. A predicted electron-capture decay directly to the ground state of argon-40 has never been observed. The KDK (potassium decay) collaboration reports strong evidence of this rare decay mode. A blinded analysis reveals a nonzero ratio of intensities of ground-state electron-captures (IEC0) over excited-state ones (IEC∗) of IEC0/IEC∗=0.0095±stat0.0022±sys0.0010 (68% C.L.), with the null hypothesis rejected at 4σ. In terms of branching ratio, this signal yields IEC0=0.098%±stat0.023%±sys0.010%, roughly half of the commonly used prediction, with consequences for various fields [27L. Hariasz, companion paper, Phys. Rev. C 108, 014327 (2023)PRVCAN2469-998510.1103/PhysRevC.108.014327].",

author = "{(KDK Collaboration)} and M. Stukel and L. Hariasz and {Di Stefano}, {P. C.F.} and Rasco, {B. C.} and Rykaczewski, {K. P.} and Brewer, {N. T.} and Stracener, {D. W.} and Y. Liu and Z. Gai and C. Rouleau and J. Carter and J. Kostensalo and J. Suhonen and H. Davis and Lukosi, {E. D.} and Goetz, {K. C.} and Grzywacz, {R. K.} and M. Mancuso and F. Petricca and A. Fija{\l}kowska and M. Woli{\'n}ska-Cichocka and J. Ninkovic and P. Lechner and Ickert, {R. B.} and Morgan, {L. E.} and Renne, {P. R.} and I. Yavin",

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AU - (KDK Collaboration)

AU - Stukel, M.

AU - Hariasz, L.

AU - Di Stefano, P. C.F.

AU - Rasco, B. C.

AU - Rykaczewski, K. P.

AU - Brewer, N. T.

AU - Stracener, D. W.

AU - Liu, Y.

AU - Gai, Z.

AU - Rouleau, C.

AU - Carter, J.

AU - Kostensalo, J.

AU - Suhonen, J.

AU - Davis, H.

AU - Lukosi, E. D.

AU - Goetz, K. C.

AU - Grzywacz, R. K.

AU - Mancuso, M.

AU - Petricca, F.

AU - Fijałkowska, A.

AU - Wolińska-Cichocka, M.

AU - Ninkovic, J.

AU - Lechner, P.

AU - Ickert, R. B.

AU - Morgan, L. E.

AU - Renne, P. R.

AU - Yavin, I.

PY - 2023/8/4

Y1 - 2023/8/4

N2 - Potassium-40 is a widespread, naturally occurring isotope whose radioactivity impacts subatomic rare-event searches, nuclear structure theory, and estimated geological ages. A predicted electron-capture decay directly to the ground state of argon-40 has never been observed. The KDK (potassium decay) collaboration reports strong evidence of this rare decay mode. A blinded analysis reveals a nonzero ratio of intensities of ground-state electron-captures (IEC0) over excited-state ones (IEC∗) of IEC0/IEC∗=0.0095±stat0.0022±sys0.0010 (68% C.L.), with the null hypothesis rejected at 4σ. In terms of branching ratio, this signal yields IEC0=0.098%±stat0.023%±sys0.010%, roughly half of the commonly used prediction, with consequences for various fields [27L. Hariasz, companion paper, Phys. Rev. C 108, 014327 (2023)PRVCAN2469-998510.1103/PhysRevC.108.014327].

AB - Potassium-40 is a widespread, naturally occurring isotope whose radioactivity impacts subatomic rare-event searches, nuclear structure theory, and estimated geological ages. A predicted electron-capture decay directly to the ground state of argon-40 has never been observed. The KDK (potassium decay) collaboration reports strong evidence of this rare decay mode. A blinded analysis reveals a nonzero ratio of intensities of ground-state electron-captures (IEC0) over excited-state ones (IEC∗) of IEC0/IEC∗=0.0095±stat0.0022±sys0.0010 (68% C.L.), with the null hypothesis rejected at 4σ. In terms of branching ratio, this signal yields IEC0=0.098%±stat0.023%±sys0.010%, roughly half of the commonly used prediction, with consequences for various fields [27L. Hariasz, companion paper, Phys. Rev. C 108, 014327 (2023)PRVCAN2469-998510.1103/PhysRevC.108.014327].

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Rare K 40 Decay with Implications for Fundamental Physics and Geochronology

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