Selected Radioactive Isotopes
Decay modes are \(\alpha \), \({\beta }^{-}\), \({\beta }^{+}\), electron capture (EC) and isomeric transition (IT). EC results in the same daughter nucleus as would \({\beta }^{+}\) decay. IT is a transition from a metastable excited state. Energies for \({\beta }^{±}\) decays are the maxima; average energies are roughly one-half the maxima.
Selected Radioactive Isotopes
| Isotope | t1/2 | DecayMode(s) | Energy(MeV) | Percent | \(\gamma \)-Ray Energy(MeV) | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| \({\text{}}^{3}\text{H}\) | 12.33 y | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.0186 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{14}\text{C}\) | 5730 y | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.156 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{13}\text{N}\) | 9.96 min | \({\beta }^{+}\) | 1.20 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{22}\text{Na}\) | 2.602 y | \({\beta }^{+}\) | 0.55 | 90% | \(\gamma \) | 1.27 | 100% |
| \({\text{}}^{32}\text{P}\) | 14.28 d | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 1.71 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{35}\text{S}\) | 87.4 d | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.167 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{36}\text{Cl}\) | \(3\text{.}\text{00}×{\text{10}}^{5}\text{y}\) | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.710 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{40}\text{K}\) | \(1\text{.}\text{28}×{\text{10}}^{9}\text{y}\) | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 1.31 | 89% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{43}\text{K}\) | 22.3 h | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.827 | 87% | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.373 | 87% |
| 0.618 | 87% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{45}\text{Ca}\) | 165 d | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.257 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{51}\text{Cr}\) | 27.70 d | EC | \(\gamma \) | 0.320 | 10% | ||
| \({\text{}}^{52}\text{Mn}\) | 5.59d | \({\beta }^{+}\) | 3.69 | 28% | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 1.33 | 28% |
| 1.43 | 28% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{52}\text{Fe}\) | 8.27 h | \({\beta }^{+}\) | 1.80 | 43% | 0.169 | 43% | |
| 0.378 | 43% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{59}\text{Fe}\) | 44.6 d | \({\beta }^{-}\text{s}\) | 0.273 | 45% | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 1.10 | 57% |
| 0.466 | 55% | 1.29 | 43% | ||||
| \({\text{}}^{60}\text{Co}\) | 5.271 y | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.318 | 100% | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 1.17 | 100% |
| 1.33 | 100% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{65}\text{Zn}\) | 244.1 d | EC | \(\gamma \) | 1.12 | 51% | ||
| \({\text{}}^{67}\text{Ga}\) | 78.3 h | EC | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.0933 | 70% | ||
| 0.185 | 35% | ||||||
| 0.300 | 19% | ||||||
| others | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{75}\text{Se}\) | 118.5 d | EC | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.121 | 20% | ||
| 0.136 | 65% | ||||||
| 0.265 | 68% | ||||||
| 0.280 | 20% | ||||||
| others | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{86}\text{Rb}\) | 18.8 d | \({\beta }^{-}\text{s}\) | 0.69 | 9% | \(\gamma \) | 1.08 | 9% |
| 1.77 | 91% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{85}\text{Sr}\) | 64.8 d | EC | \(\gamma \) | 0.514 | 100% | ||
| \({\text{}}^{90}\text{Sr}\) | 28.8 y | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 0.546 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{90}\text{Y}\) | 64.1 h | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 2.28 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{99m}\text{Tc}\) | 6.02 h | IT | \(\gamma \) | 0.142 | 100% | ||
| \({\text{}}^{113m}\text{In}\) | 99.5 min | IT | \(\gamma \) | 0.392 | 100% | ||
| \({\text{}}^{123}\text{I}\) | 13.0 h | EC | \(\gamma \) | 0.159 | \(\text{≈100%}\text{}\) | ||
| \({\text{}}^{131}\text{I}\) | 8.040 d | \({\beta }^{-}\text{s}\) | 0.248 | 7% | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.364 | 85% |
| 0.607 | 93% | others | |||||
| others | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{129}\text{Cs}\) | 32.3 h | EC | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.0400 | 35% | ||
| 0.372 | 32% | ||||||
| 0.411 | 25% | ||||||
| others | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{137}\text{Cs}\) | 30.17 y | \({\beta }^{-}\text{s}\) | 0.511 | 95% | \(\gamma \) | 0.662 | 95% |
| 1.17 | 5% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{140}\text{Ba}\) | 12.79 d | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 1.035 | \(\text{≈100%}\text{}\) | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.030 | 25% |
| 0.044 | 65% | ||||||
| 0.537 | 24% | ||||||
| others | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{198}\text{Au}\) | 2.696 d | \({\beta }^{-}\) | 1.161 | \(\text{≈100%}\text{}\) | \(\gamma \) | 0.412 | \(\text{≈100%}\text{}\) |
| \({\text{}}^{197}\text{Hg}\) | 64.1 h | EC | \(\gamma \) | 0.0733 | 100% | ||
| \({\text{}}^{210}\text{Po}\) | 138.38 d | \(\alpha \) | 5.41 | 100% | |||
| \({\text{}}^{226}\text{Ra}\) | \(1\text{.}\text{60}×{\text{10}}^{3}\text{y}\) | \(\alpha \text{s}\) | 4.68 | 5% | \(\gamma \) | 0.186 | 100% |
| 4.87 | 95% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{235}\text{U}\) | \(7\text{.}\text{038}×{\text{10}}^{8}\text{y}\) | \(\alpha \) | 4.68 | \(\text{≈100%}\text{}\) | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | numerous | <0.400% |
| \({\text{}}^{238}\text{U}\) | \(4\text{.}\text{468}×{\text{10}}^{9}\text{y}\) | \(\alpha \text{s}\) | 4.22 | 23% | \(\gamma \) | 0.050 | 23% |
| 4.27 | 77% | ||||||
| \({\text{}}^{237}\text{Np}\) | \(2\text{.}\text{14}×{\text{10}}^{6}\text{y}\) | \(\alpha \text{s}\) | numerous | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | numerous | <0.250% | |
| 4.96 (max.) | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{239}\text{Pu}\) | \(2\text{.}\text{41}×{\text{10}}^{4}\text{y}\) | \(\alpha \text{s}\) | 5.19 | 11% | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | \(7\text{.}5×{\text{10}}^{-5}\) | 73% |
| 5.23 | 15% | 0.013 | 15% | ||||
| 5.24 | 73% | 0.052 | 10% | ||||
| others | |||||||
| \({\text{}}^{243}\text{Am}\) | \(7\text{.}\text{37}×{\text{10}}^{3}\text{y}\) | \(\alpha \text{s}\) | Max. 5.44 | \(\gamma \phantom{\rule{0.10em}{0ex}}\text{s}\) | 0.075 | ||
| 5.37 | 88% | others | |||||
| 5.32 | 11% | ||||||
| others |
This lesson is part of:
Radioactivity and Nuclear Physics
View Full Tutorial