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Re: [Phys-l] Fwd: decay constant variation and solar flares?!



Quoting ludwik kowalski <kowalskil@mail.montclair.edu>:
Experimental evidence that the rate of radioactive decay remains
constant (in natural earth environment) is very reliable.

Or so we believe. This is why it is surprising, if true. Apparent seasonal variations in decay constant are small, on the order of tenths of a percent. These variations are either due to measurement error, or our understanding of radioactive decay is inconsistent with observation. The authors claim to have thought of and accounted for all known error sources.

Here is the original work describing apparent solar flare correlation:
http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0808/0808.3156.pdf

Note that this work was completed with a 1 uCi source and NaI detector counting at about 1000 cps in 4 hour intervals. Not a particularly difficult or expensive experiment to repeat. Faster detectors with different operating principles exist.

Jeff Radtke
Supersaturated Environments
http://www.cloudchambers.com