Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Volume/Issue:
Volume 276: Issue 2
Protocol for uncertainty assessment of half-lives
Authors:
S. Pommé Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements European Commission, Joint Research Centre Retieseweg 111 B-2440 Geel Belgium

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J. Camps Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements European Commission, Joint Research Centre Retieseweg 111 B-2440 Geel Belgium

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R. Van Ammel Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements European Commission, Joint Research Centre Retieseweg 111 B-2440 Geel Belgium

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J. Paepen Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements European Commission, Joint Research Centre Retieseweg 111 B-2440 Geel Belgium

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Pages:
335–339
Online Publication Date:
05 May 2008
Publication Date:
01 May 2008
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-008-0508-y
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Abstract  

The apparent tendency to underestimate the uncertainty of experimentally determined half-life values of radionuclides is discussed. It is argued that the uncertainty derived from a least-squares analysis of a decay curve is prone to error. As it is quite common for a series of activity measurement results to be autocorrelated, the prerequisite of randomness of data for common statistical tests to apply is not fulfilled. In this work, an alternative data analysis method is applied that leads to a more realistic uncertainty budget. The uncertainty components are being subdivided in three categories according to the relative frequency at which they occur, an appropriate uncertainty propagation formula applied and then the total uncertainty obtained from an independent sum. An attempt is made to apply the protocol to problematic cases in literature, yet it is clear that the reporting is usually incomplete for a full uncertainty analysis. Suggestions are made for a concise but more complete reporting style, for the sake of traceability.

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Cover Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Print ISSN:
0236-5731
Online ISSN:
1588-2780

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Journal of Radionalytical and Nuclear Chemistry
Language English
Size A4
Year of
Foundation		 1968
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 12
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0236-5731 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2780 (Online)

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