Search for heavy-ion radioactivity from 241Am.

Abstract

Using phosphate glass detectors capable of withstanding a background dose of \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{14}$ alpha particles per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, we have searched for rare decay modes of $^{241}\mathrm{Am}$ involving emission of energetic heavy ions. Predictions of the branching ratio for $^{34}\mathrm{Si}$ emission relative to alpha decay of $^{241}\mathrm{Am}$ range from 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ to 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$. In a six-month exposure to 8 mg of $^{241}\mathrm{Am}$, with detectors subtending a solid angle of 2.51 sr, we detected no particles with $12\ensuremath{\le}Z\ensuremath{\le}16$, from which we infer an upper limit ($2\ensuremath{\sigma}$) of 7.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$.