Abstract
Measurements are reported of the acceleration of the first-forbidden beta decay of 137Cs by exposure to intense, low-frequency electromagnetic fields. Two separate experiments were done: one in a coaxial cavity, and the other in a coaxial transmission line. The first showed an increase in the beta decay rate of (6.8±3.2)×10−4 relative to the natural rate, and the other resulted in an increase of (6.5±2.0)×10− 4. In addition, a Fourier analysis of the rate of 662 keV gamma emission following from the beta decay in the standing-wave experiment showed a clear indication of the frequency with which the external field was switched on and off. A simultaneously detected gamma emission from a placebo nucleus showed no such peak.