Improving fast-timing time-walk calibration standards: Lifetime measurement of the 2+1 state in 152Gd

A 152Eu source was measured for 28 days using an experimental setup consisting of four LaBr3(Ce) detectors, connected to a CAEN V1730 digitizer, implementing online interpolation constant fraction discrimination for picosecond-precise timestamp determination. Using the definition of the time-walk curve, the lifetime of the 2+1 (344 keV) state in 152Gd was re-measured, resulting in r(2+1 ) = 46.9(3) ps. Compared to the previously adopted lifetime the uncertainty is reduced by an order of magnitude. This improved lifetime is of significant importance for electronic fast-timing lifetime measurements, and the impact on the systematic correction procedure and lifetime measurements in the low picosecond regime are discussed.

Automated summary

A 152Eu source was measured for 28 days using an experimental setup that included four LaBr3(Ce) detectors and a CAEN V1730 digitizer. The new measurement of the lifetime of the 2+1 (344 keV) state in 152Gd is r(2+1) = 46.9(3) ps, which has reduced the uncertainty by an order of magnitude compared to the previous result. This improved lifetime is important for electronic fast-timing lifetime measurements and has implications for the systematic correction procedure and measurements in the low picosecond regime.