Non-Radiative Triggering of Long-Lived Nuclear Isomers

Abstract

The triggering of long-lived isomeric nuclei by non-radiative excitation to a relatively short-lived mediating state is considered. Coulomb triggering in inelastic scattering of heavy ions, a transfer of triggering energy from resonant electron transitions of atomic shell (NEET) and triggering by capture of a free electron into a bound atomic state (NEEC) are discussed. Cross sections for the above processes of non-radiative triggering are presented and the relative efficiencies of these different triggering mechanisms are discussed. Numerical estimates are presented for the selected isomers.