Nuclear Physics A 709 (2002) 119–130 www.elsevier.com/locate/npe Search for beta-delayed charged particles from the halo nucleus 14 Be H. Jeppesen a,∗ , U.C. Bergmann b , M.J.G. Borge c , J. Cederkäll b , V.N. Fedoseyev d , H.O.U. Fynbo a , V.Y. Hansper a , B. Jonson e , K. Markenroth e , V.I. Mishin d , T. Nilsson b , G. Nyman e , K. Riisager a , O. Tengblad c , K. Wilhelmsen Rolander f , ISOLDE Collaboration b a Institut for Fysik og Astromomi, Aarhus Universitet, DK-8000 Århus C, Denmark b EP Division, CERN, CH-1211 Genève 23, Switzerland c Instituto Estructura de la Materia, CSIS, E-28006 Madrid, Spain d Institute of spectroscopy, Russian Academy of Sciences, RUS-142092 Troitsk, Russia e Subatomär Fysik, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, S-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden f Fysiska Institutionen, Stockholms Universitet, Box 6730, S-113 85 Stockholm, Sweden Received 10 June 2002; received in revised form 9 July 2002; accepted 17 July 2002 Abstract In a search for β -delayed charged particles from 14 Be we have obtained an upper limit on β -delayed α particles, B(βα) < 1.2 × 10 -4 , and found evidence for β -delayed tritons at intensity of 6 × 10 -5 < B(βt) < 4 × 10 -4 (both at 95% confidence level). By adding information on the β -delayed neutron branches from direct measurements at low neutron energy and indirect detection via recoiling nuclei at high energy, and by including also information from earlier experiments, we deduce the β strength distribution from 14 Be. This differs significantly from shell-model calculations at high excitation energy.  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 23.40.Hc; 27.20.+n; 21.10.Pc Keywords: RADIOACTIVITY 14 Be(β - ), (β - n) [from Ta(p,X)]; measured β-delayed charged particle spectra, branching ratios, β-delayed neutron spectra. Mass separated source; Si-gas telescope; Time distribution analysis * Corresponding author. E-mail address: henjep@phys.au.dk (H. Jeppesen). 0375-9474/02/$ – see front matter  2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII:S0375-9474(02)01093-X