Single crystal HPGe (80%) vs BGO shielded CLOVER detector for high precision decay rate measurements: a comparative study

The study of the change in nuclear decay rates under compression is a topic of fundamental significance and has application in several fields like astrophysics, geophysics, condensed matter etc. There are only a few measurements on the decay rate change of electron capturing nuclei under compression and ~1% change in decay rate has been observed. The compressional effect on nuclear decay rates could be studied by two methods: applying external pressure on the radioactive sample using a Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC); and implanting the radioactive atoms in the octahedral and tetrahedral spaces of a small lattice (Pd) and large lattice (Pb) and subsequently measuring the decay rates change of radioactive sample in different environmental conditions. The gamma-spectroscopic technique is one of the commonly used techniques for such decay rate change measurements. The configuration of detectors along with the experimental setup plays important roles for such high precision γ-ray measurements to determine small change in the decay rate of radioactive nuclei in different environments