First search for α decays of naturally occurring Hf nuclides with emission of γ quanta

The first ever search for α decays to the first excited state in Yb was performed for six isotopes of hafnium (174, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180) using a high purity Hf sample of natural isotopic abundance with a mass of 179.8 g. For ${}^{179}$Hf, also α decay to the ground state of ${}^{175}$Yb was searched for thanks to the β-instability of the daughter nuclide ${}^{175}$Yb. The measurements were conducted using an ultra-low-background HPGe-detector system located 225 m underground. After 75 days of data taking no decays were detected but lower bounds for the half-lives of the decays were derived on the level of lim T${}_{1/2}$ ∼10${}^{15}$-10${}^{18}$ a. The decay with the shortest half-life based on theoretical calculation is the decay of ${}^{174}$Hf to the first 2${}^{+}$+ 84.3 keV excited level of ${}^{170}$Yb. The experimental lower bound was found to be T${}_{1/2}$ ≥ 3.3×10${}^{15}$ a.