Lifetime extraction from delayed-coincidence experiments by a direct deconvolution method

A direct deconvolution method has been developed to extract lifetimes from delayed-coincidence curves. After it has been checked on a Monte-Carlo simulation, it has been applied to the lifetime of the 260.5 keV level in 187Pt. In combination with the standard re-convolution method it gives an estimate of the systematic error, and could be helpful when only approximately matched prompt curves are available.