Europium-151 Mössbauer spectroscopic studies of after-effects of the electron-capture decay of gadolinium-151 and the β-decay of samarium-151

Abstract

¹⁵¹ Eu Mössbauer spectrometry has been used to study the after-effects of electron-capture decay of ¹⁵¹Gd and β-decay of ¹⁵¹Sm in inorganic and organic lanthanide compounds doped with these nuclides. No charge state other than ¹⁵¹Eu^III was observed following nuclear decay in lanthanide oxides and fluorides doped with ¹⁵¹Gd or ¹⁵¹Sm. However, both the bivalent state. ^l51Eu^II, and the tervalent state. ¹⁵¹Eu^III, were observed following the electron-capture decay of ¹⁵¹Gd-doped organic lanthanide compounds. The effects of varying temperature, the organic ligand, and the lanthanide matrix element were investigated. The presence of water of crystallisation was not essential for the production and stabilization of ¹⁵¹Eu^II in lanthanide oxalates. The presence of a conjugated organic ligand in ¹⁵¹Gd-doped compounds suppressed the formation of ¹⁵¹Eu^II.