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Curium (96Cm) is an artificial element with an atomic number of 96. Because it is an artificial element, a standard atomic weight cannot be given, and it has no stable isotopes. The first isotope synthesized was Cm in 1944, which has 146 neutrons.
There are 19 known radioisotopes ranging from Cm to Cm. There are also ten known nuclear isomers. The longest-lived isotope is Cm, with half-life 15.6 million years – orders of magnitude longer than that of any known isotope beyond curium, and long enough to study as a possible extinct radionuclide that would be produced by the r-process. The longest-lived known isomer is Cm with a half-life of 1.12 seconds.
List of isotopes
Nuclide |
Z | N | Isotopic mass (Da) |
Half-life |
Decay mode |
Daughter isotope |
Spin and parity | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Excitation energy | |||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 137 | 233.05077(8) | 23+13 −6 s |
β (80%) | Am | 3/2+# | ||||||||||||
α (20%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 138 | 234.05016(2) | 52(9) s | β (71%) | Am | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α (27%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
SF (2%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 139 | 235.05143(22)# | 300+250 −100 s |
β (99.0%) | Am | (5/2+) | ||||||||||||
α (1.0%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 140 | 236.05141(22)# | 6.8(8) min | β (82%) | Am | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α (18%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
SF (<0.1%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 141 | 237.05290(22)# | >660 s | β | Am | (5/2+) | ||||||||||||
α (<1%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 142 | 238.05303(4) | 2.2(4) h | EC (~94%) | Am | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α (~6%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 143 | 239.05496(11)# | 2.5(4) h | β | Am | (7/2−) | ||||||||||||
α (6.2x10%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 144 | 240.0555295(25) | 27(1) d | α (99.5%) | Pu | 0+ | ||||||||||||
EC (.5%) | Am | ||||||||||||||||||
SF (3.9×10%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 145 | 241.0576530(23) | 32.8(2) d | EC (99%) | Am | 1/2+ | ||||||||||||
α (1%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 146 | 242.0588358(20) | 162.8(2) d | α | Pu | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (6.33×10%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
CD (10%) | Pb Si | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 2800(100) keV | 180(70) ns | |||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 147 | 243.0613891(22) | 29.1(1) y | α (99.71%) | Pu | 5/2+ | ||||||||||||
EC (.29%) | Am | ||||||||||||||||||
SF (5.3×10%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 87.4(1) keV | 1.08(3) μs | IT | Cm | 1/2+ | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 148 | 244.0627526(20) | 18.10(2) y | α | Pu | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (1.34×10%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 1040.188(12) keV | 34(2) ms | IT | Cm | 6+ | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 1100(900)# keV | >500 ns | SF | (various) | |||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 149 | 245.0654912(22) | 8.5(1)×10 y | α | Pu | 7/2+ | ||||||||||||
SF (6.1×10%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 355.92(10) keV | 290(20) ns | IT | Cm | 1/2+ | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 150 | 246.0672237(22) | 4.76(4)×10 y | α (99.97%) | Pu | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (.0261%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 1179.66(13) keV | 1.12(0.24) s | IT | Cm | 8− | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 151 | 247.070354(5) | 1.56(5)×10 y | α | Pu | 9/2− | ||||||||||||
Cm | 227.38(19) keV | 26.3(0.3) μs | IT | Cm | 5/2+ | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 404.90(3) keV | 100.6(0.6) ns | IT | Cm | 1/2+ | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 152 | 248.072349(5) | 3.48(6)×10 y | α (91.74%) | Pu | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (8.26%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 1458.1(1) keV | 146(18) μs | IT | Cm | (8−) | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 153 | 249.075953(5) | 64.15(3) min | β | Bk | 1/2(+) | ||||||||||||
Cm | 48.758(17) keV | 23 μs | α | Pu | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 154 | 250.078357(12) | 8300# y | SF (74%) | (various) | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α (18%) | Pu | ||||||||||||||||||
β (8%) | Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
Cm | 96 | 155 | 251.082285(24) | 16.8(2) min | β | Bk | (1/2+) | ||||||||||||
This table header & footer: |
- Cm – Excited nuclear isomer.
- ( ) – Uncertainty (1σ) is given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits.
- # – Atomic mass marked #: value and uncertainty derived not from purely experimental data, but at least partly from trends from the Mass Surface (TMS).
- ^ # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN).
-
Modes of decay:
CD: Cluster decay EC: Electron capture SF: Spontaneous fission - ( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments.
- ^ Most common isotopes
- Theoretically capable of ββ decay to Pu
- Heaviest known nuclide to undergo cluster decay
- The nuclide with the lowest atomic number known to undergo spontaneous fission as the main decay mode
Actinides vs fission products
Actinides and fission products by half-life | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Actinides by decay chain | Half-life range (a) |
Fission products of U by yield | ||||||
4n | 4n + 1 | 4n + 2 | 4n + 3 | 4.5–7% | 0.04–1.25% | <0.001% | ||
Ra | 4–6 a | Eu | ||||||
Bk | > 9 a | |||||||
Cm | Pu | Cf | Ac | 10–29 a | Sr | Kr | Cd | |
U | Pu | Cm | 29–97 a | Cs | Sm | Sn | ||
Cf | Am | 141–351 a |
No fission products have a half-life | |||||
Am | Cf | 430–900 a | ||||||
Ra | Bk | 1.3–1.6 ka | ||||||
Pu | Th | Cm | Am | 4.7–7.4 ka | ||||
Cm | Cm | 8.3–8.5 ka | ||||||
Pu | 24.1 ka | |||||||
Th | Pa | 32–76 ka | ||||||
Np | U | U | 150–250 ka | Tc | Sn | |||
Cm | Pu | 327–375 ka | Se | |||||
1.33 Ma | Cs | |||||||
Np | 1.61–6.5 Ma | Zr | Pd | |||||
U | Cm | 15–24 Ma | I | |||||
Pu | 80 Ma |
... nor beyond 15.7 Ma | ||||||
Th | U | U | 0.7–14.1 Ga | |||||
|
References
- ^ Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S.; Audi, G. (2021). "The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear properties" (PDF). Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddae.
- Côté, Benoit; Eichler, Marius; Yagüe López, Andrés; Vassh, Nicole; Mumpower, Matthew R.; Világos, Blanka; Soós, Benjámin; Arcones, Almudena; Sprouse, Trevor M.; Surman, Rebecca; Pignatari, Marco; Pető, Mária K.; Wehmeyer, Benjamin; Rauscher, Thomas; Lugaro, Maria (26 February 2021). "I and Cm in meteorites constrain the last astrophysical source of solar r-process elements". Science. 371 (6532): 945–948. arXiv:2006.04833. Bibcode:2021Sci...371..945C. doi:10.1126/science.aba1111. PMID 33632846. S2CID 232050526.
- Davis, A.M.; McKeegan, K.D. (2014). "Short-Lived Radionuclides and Early Solar System Chronology". Treatise on Geochemistry: 383. doi:10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00113-3. ISBN 9780080983004.
- ^ Khuyagbaatar, J.; Heßberger, F. P.; Hofmann, S.; Ackermann, D.; Burkhard, H. G.; Heinz, S.; Kindler, B.; Kojouharov, I.; Lommel, B.; Mann, R.; Maurer, J.; Nishio, K. (12 October 2020). "α decay of Fm 243 143 and Fm 245 145 , and of their daughter nuclei". Physical Review C. 102 (4): 044312. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.102.044312. ISSN 2469-9985. S2CID 241259726. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- Khuyagbaatar, J.; Heßberger, F. P.; Hofmann, S.; Ackermann, D.; Comas, V. S.; Heinz, S.; Heredia, J. A.; Kindler, B.; Kojouharov, I.; Lommel, B.; Mann, R.; Nishio, K.; Yakushev, A. (1 October 2010). "The new isotope Cm and new data on Cm and Cf" (PDF). The European Physical Journal A. 46 (1): 59–67. Bibcode:2010EPJA...46...59K. doi:10.1140/epja/i2010-11026-9. ISSN 1434-601X. S2CID 122809010. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Asai, M.; Tsukada, K.; Ichikawa, S.; Sakama, M.; Haba, H.; Nishinaka, I.; Nagame, Y.; Goto, S.; Kojima, Y.; Oura, Y.; Shibata, M. (20 June 2006). "α decay of Cm and the new isotope Cm". Physical Review C. 73 (6): 067301. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.73.067301. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- Plus radium (element 88). While actually a sub-actinide, it immediately precedes actinium (89) and follows a three-element gap of instability after polonium (84) where no nuclides have half-lives of at least four years (the longest-lived nuclide in the gap is radon-222 with a half life of less than four days). Radium's longest lived isotope, at 1,600 years, thus merits the element's inclusion here.
- Specifically from thermal neutron fission of uranium-235, e.g. in a typical nuclear reactor.
- Milsted, J.; Friedman, A. M.; Stevens, C. M. (1965). "The alpha half-life of berkelium-247; a new long-lived isomer of berkelium-248". Nuclear Physics. 71 (2): 299. Bibcode:1965NucPh..71..299M. doi:10.1016/0029-5582(65)90719-4.
"The isotopic analyses disclosed a species of mass 248 in constant abundance in three samples analysed over a period of about 10 months. This was ascribed to an isomer of Bk with a half-life greater than 9 . No growth of Cf was detected, and a lower limit for the β half-life can be set at about 10 . No alpha activity attributable to the new isomer has been detected; the alpha half-life is probably greater than 300 ." - This is the heaviest nuclide with a half-life of at least four years before the "sea of instability".
- Excluding those "classically stable" nuclides with half-lives significantly in excess of Th; e.g., while Cd has a half-life of only fourteen years, that of Cd is eight quadrillion years.
- Isotope masses from:
- Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001
- Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources.
- Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001
- National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.x database". Brookhaven National Laboratory.
- Holden, Norman E. (2004). "11. Table of the Isotopes". In Lide, David R. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.