At this stage of the analysis it is important to know the internal conversion coefficients for the transitions connecting the known levels. The internal conversion coefficient is defined as the number of de-excitations via e− emission over those via γ emission. If internal conversion takes place, the EM multipole fields of the nucleus do not result in the emission of a photon, instead, the fields interact with the atomic electrons and cause one of the electrons to be emitted from the atom. The gamma that would be emitted after the beta decay is missed, and the γ intensity decreases accordingly: IT = Iγ + Ie− = Iγ(1 + αe), so this phenomenon has to be taken into account in the calculation. Also, the x rays will be contaminated with those coming from the electron conversion process. This is important in electron capture decay, as it can affect the results of any x-ray gated spectra if the internal conversion is strong. Its probability is higher for lower energies and high multipolarities.
