ThSi<sub>10</sub>O<sub>22</sub> Compound as a Target for the Production of Isomeric Thorium-229 Nuclei under Electron Beam Irradiation
The chemical composition and width of the band gap of the ThSi10O22 compound have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy. It has been found that the width of the band gap of the compound is 7.7 eV and does not change when the target is exposed to a 2-keV electron beam with a current of 30 mA for two hours. This indicates a high beam resistibility of the compound. A quantitative estimate has been given for the output function of thorium-229 isomeric nuclei as a result of the interaction of the nuclei with secondary electrons formed when the target is irradiated by an electron beam with energies in the range of (1–25) keV. Keywords: thorium-229, thorium-232, low-lying isomeric level, VUV-range nuclear transition, nuclear clock, excitation of a nucleus by electrons