Measurement of the p to s Wave Branching Ratio of {sup 187}Re {beta} Decay from Beta Environmental Fine Structure

The mixed occurrence of s-wave and p-wave contributions in a first forbidden unique Gamow-Teller {beta} decay has been investigated for the first time by measuring the beta environmental fine structure (BEFS) in a {sup 187}Re crystalline compound. The experiment has been carried out with an array of eight AgReO{sub 4} thermal detectors operating at a temperature of {approx}100 mK. A fit of the observed BEFS spectrum indicates the p-wave electron emission as the dominant channel. The complete understanding of the BEFS distortion of the {sup 187}Re {beta} decay spectrum is crucial for future experiments aiming at the precise calorimetric measurement of the antineutrino mass.