Half-Life for Double Beta-Decay

Fireman(1) has reported the results of a rather difficult beta-particle coincidence counting experiment in which the decay of Sn{sup 124} by the simultaneous emission of two negative beta-particles, with a half-life between 0.4 x 10{sup 16} years and 0.9 x 10{sup 16} years, seems to have been observed. This note reports the results obtained from a different and somewhat simpler method of looking for the phenomenon of simultaneous emission of two beta-particles. These results are negative so far and show that this process is considerably less probable in the case chosen by us than in that reported by Fireman. The method consists of looking in uranium samples for 90-year Pu{sup 238} which would come from U{sup 238} by the double beta-particle mechanism since Np{sup 238} is heavier than U{sup 238}, which in turn is substantially heavier than Pu{sup 238}, in the isobaric triplet {sub 92}U{sup 238}-{sub 93}Np{sup 238}-{sub 94}Pu{sup 238}. This chemical method of investigation is particularly applicable to this isobaric triplet because there appears to be no other mechanisms to account for the Pu{sup 238} should it be found. The energetics of the situation are summarized in the following diagram, where the disintegration energies are derived from sources which may be traced through a recent compilation.