Searching for modifications to the exponential radioactive decay law with the Cassini spacecraft

2008/09/24 by P. S. Cooper, Peter S. Cooper · 3 citations
Decision Sciences · Health Professions · Physics and Astronomy · #Radioactive Decay and Measurement Techniques #Radioactivity and Radon Measurements #Scientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation #astro-ph #nucl-ex #physics.space-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2009.02.005

published as Astropart.Phys.31:267-269,2009 · 3 pages, 3 figures, Latex

arxiv created 2008/09/24 · openalex publication_date 2009/02/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Data from the power output of the radioisotope thermoelectric generators aboard the Cassini spacecraft are used to test the conjecture that small deviations observed in terrestrial measurements of the exponential radioactive decay law are correlated with the Earth-Sun distance. No significant deviations from exponential decay are observed over a range of 0.7 - 1.6 A.U. A 90% Cl upper limit of 0.84 x 10^-4 is set on a term in the decay rate of Pu-238 proportional to 1/R² and 0.99 x 10^-4 for a term proportional to 1/R.

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