Measurement of the half-life of (198)Au in a nonmetal: High-precision measurement shows no host-material dependence
Abstract
We have measured the half-life of the beta(-) decay of (198)Au to be 2.6948(9)d, with the nuclide sited in an insulating environment. Comparing this result with the half-life we measured previously with a metallic environment, we find the half-lives in both environments to be the same within 0.04%, thus contradicting a prediction that screening from a "plasma" of quasifree electrons in a metal increases the half-life by as much as 7%.