Radioactivity ofLi8

Abstract

The continuous distribution of alpha-particles observed in conjunction with the beta-decay of ${\mathrm{Li}}^8$ is examined theoretically from the Fermi theory of beta-decay. It has previously been noted that the Konopinski-Uhlenbeck theory does not give the distribution correctly. An approximate form of the Fermi theory suffices to account for the general form of the distribution. Calculations are presented for $L=0\mathrm{}$ and $L=2\mathrm{}$, with several values of the nuclear radius. An abnormally small value of Fermi's constant $g$ is found for the beta-decay process, which classes the process as improbable. The consequences of a stable ground state for ${\mathrm{Be}}^8$ are discussed.