Search for possible effects of temperature and electron environment on the α-decay lifetime

Abstract

We report on recent experimental and theoretical findings on possible effects of temperature, metal electron environment and pressure on the -decay constant. Contrary to recent claims, a possible screening effect of free electrons in a metal lattice at low temperature has to be ruled out on the basis of the experiment, while we find that effects induced by means of state-of-the-art compression techniques, although much smaller than previously speculated, might however be measurable. Considerable effects are expected in ultra-high-density stellar environments.