title: Confirmation of 20% error in the (209)Po half-life.
abstract: First results of a half-life measurement of (209)Po show 20% discrepancy with the formerly recommended value of 102 (5) years, which was based on a single experiment performed in 1956. After one year of measurement, a statistical uncertainty on T1/2 of 3.5% has been reached and effects of long-term instability are assumed to be less than 5%. The preliminary half-life value obtained in this work, 120 (6) years, supports the newly determined value of 125.2 (33) years by Collé et al. (2014). The 20% error in the half-life has an impact on numerous measurements in which aged (209)Po solutions were used as a tracer.
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, B-2440 Geel, Belgium. Electronic address: stefaan.pomme@ec.europa.eu.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pommé
authors.affiliation: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, Retieseweg 111, B-2440 Geel, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stroh
authors.affiliation: Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benedik
keywords: (209)Po; (210)Po; Environment; Error; Half-life; Radioactivity; Tracer; Uncertainty