Systematic comparison of beta spectra calculations using improved analytical screening correction with experimental shape factors

Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Radionuclide Metrology and its Applications (ICRM), 8-11 June 2015, Vienna, Austria. Organizer TU Wien. Editors Franz-Josef Maringer, Dirk Arnold, Uwe Wätjen.; International audience; From a review of the available literature, a database of experimental shape factors from measured beta spectra was created in previous work. Classical assumptions applied in beta spectra calculations which avoid the determination of the electron and nuclear wave functions were tested by comparison with each measured spectrum present in the database. From this systematic comparison, it was demonstrated that the typical assumption lambda(k)=1 is inappropriate for all forbidden unique transitions. Moreover, the equally common xi-approximation was also proved to be incorrect for about half of the listed first forbidden non unique transitions and for all second non-unique ones. In present work, this study has been performed once again using an improved analytical screening correction. General results from previous study still remain the same. Except for allowed transitions, the mean energies in current nuclear databases are expected to be erroneous. Some selected beta spectra are also given to illustrate these results.