Nuclear spectroscopic studies of the 23.7 h 248Bk

Main features of the decay of the 23.7 h ²⁴⁸Bk have been determined by spectroscopy with scintillation and semiconductor detectors. The results are as follows: half-life 23.7 ± 0.2 h; branching is (30 ± 5)% to ²⁴⁸Cm (≈ 23% EC decay to 0⁺ ground state and ≈ 7% to first 2⁺ state) and (70 ± 5)%β^? decay to ²⁴⁸Cf(5 % to 592 keV K^π = 2^? state and (65 ± 5)% to the ground-state band). The β^? decay energy, Q_β^?, has been measured to be 860 ± 20 keV, and the electron capture decay energy, Q_EC, has been derived from closed cycle to be 705 ± 25 keV. The deduced logft values of β^? and EC transitions restrict the spin of the ²⁴⁸Bk ground state to 1, with configuration assignment $\text{{}\text{n}\text{[734]}\text{9}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$; $\text{p}\text{[633]}\text{7}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$. It has also been deduced that the long lived isomer lies 65 ± 40 keV abovethe 23.7h ²⁴⁸Bk ground state.