Abstract
Y91 decays by the emission of a single beta-particle with a maximum energy of 1.54 Mev, while Cs137 decays in two ways, (1) beta-decay (maximum energy=0.518 Mev) to Ba137* followed by a gamma-transition to the ground state, and (2) beta-decay (maximum energy=1.2 Mev) directly to the ground state. Probably not more than 5 percent of the Cs137 nuclei decay directly to the ground state. Conventional (allowed transition) Kurie plots of Y91 and the low energy group of beta-particles of Cs137 display curvature which is concave toward the energy axis at high energies and concave upward at low energies. If it is assumed that Gamow-Teller selection rules govern the beta-process, the Fermi function F(Z,W) for allowed spectra must be multiplied by a factor G=(W21)+(W0W)2 in a beta-transition for which there is a change of parity and for which the spin change is two units. If these conventional Kurie plots of Y91 and Cs137 are modified by the factor G, the resulting plots are approximately straight lines. This indicates that the beta-decay of Y91 and the low energy beta-decay of Cs137 involve a spin change of two units and a parity change. These results contribute evidence for the validity of the Fermi theory of beta-decay and the Gamow-Teller selection rules.

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