The study suggests that the germanium isotope actually has an 11-day half-life

The search for the elusive neutrino takes many forms. Detectors containing several tons of gallium are used in many experiments because neutrino interactions can occur in stable gallium-71 (⁷¹Ga) nucleus and converts it into a radioactive isotope of germanium (⁷¹Ge) with an 11-day half-life, can then be observed with traditional radiation detectors.

However, the rate ⁷¹Ge production from these interactions was found to be lower than expected. This is referred to as the „gallium anomaly”—a remarkable anomaly that occurs when electron neutrinos bombard and produce gallium. ⁷¹Gee.

This discrepancy cannot be explained by current theories. Consequently, this has led to speculation that the neutrino may be a signature of other exotic particles, i.e. sterile neutrinos, which interact with less matter than the normal neutrino; If confirmed, this would be a major breakthrough.

Recently, it has been suggested that this anomaly may be explained by something more mundane. ⁷¹Ge Nucleus. Because the predicted rate of neutrino interactions depends on this half-life.

To test a possible explanation for the gallium anomaly, a team of scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories ⁷¹Half-lives with a set of carefully performed measurements, including two performed side-by-side with other long-lived radioactive isotopes with well-known half-lives. The Research appears in Physical examination c.

The team was able to retreat ⁷¹Calculate the half-life with four times the accuracy of the previous measurement. The job removes false measurements ⁷¹An explanation for the anomaly is that Ge must have a different origin—perhaps the presence of a fourth type of neutrino called the sterile neutrino.

„The new half-life obtained by our team confirmed the previous results, but put it on a more firm footing, categorically ruling out a possible explanation that the missing neutrinos were due to a false cause. ⁷¹Gee half-life,” said LLNL scientist and lead author Nick Sailsoe. „So, the gallium anomaly remains a real mystery—it still needs to understand some kind of unexpected new neutrino behavior.”

Other LLNL faculty include Narek Garibian, Ken Gregorich, Brian Sammis, Jennifer Shusterman, and Keenan Thomas.