Isotopes Flashcards
Americium-241
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
432.2 years
Alpha (5.486MeV)
Gamma (59KeV)
Smoke detectors, neutron source (AmBe) for density gauge, RTG but not as good as Pu-238
Carbon-14
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
5730+/-40 years
Beta decay(.156MeV)
Carbon dating up to 60,000 years, best detected in liquid scintillation. Produced by comics radiation of neutron capture in nitrogen-14 and produces carbon-14 and a proton. Also created in nuclear explosions, reactors, and decay chains.
Radium-226
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
1600 years
Alpha decay(4.871MeV)
Was used for radio luminescent paint up until the 1980s. Was discovery by the Curries. One Currie is 1 gram of radium disintegrations for 1 seconds at 3.7x10^10.
Tritium
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
12.32 years
Beta(.01859MeV) 5.7KeV average beta E
Used in radio luminescent paint ,fusion fuels, and bombs. Created by neutron capture of lithium-6 or very rarely cosmic radiation. Safe to humans as beta can’t penetrate dead skin layer.
Strontium-90
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
28.8 years
Beta decay (.456MeV)
Medical industry, paint, Soviet RTGs and comes from reactors and weapons. Was suggest in the Manhattan project to be used as a radiological warfare weapon. Algae good for bioremediation.
Cesium-137
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
30.05 years
Beta decay (0.5120MeV) Gamma(.6617MeV)
Created in nuclear fission. Used in sources, radiation therapy, flow meters, thickness gauges, and moisture contents
Cobalt-60
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
5.27 years
Beta(.317MeV)
Gamma(1.1732, 1.3325 MeV)
Used in gamma ray scans, radiation therapy, and sterilization.
Xenon-135
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
9.2 Hours
Beta (1.168 MeV)
Xenon is a fission product and is the most powerful known neutron poison at 2-3 million barns.
Uranium-235
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
703,800,000 years
Alpha (4.679)
Occurs at .72% of natural uranium. Fissile. Radioactive decay chain division has a remainder of 3. Reactor and bomb fuel.
Uranium-238
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
4.468 Billion years
Alpha (4.267)
99% naturally occurring. Fertile material. Used in Shielding both gamma and tank armor. Projectiles and bombs. Used to generate Pu-239. Natural decay chain remainder of 2.
Plutonium-239
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
24110 years
Alpha (5.156 MeV)
Fissile. Made by neutron absorption in U-238 and two beta decays. Used in bombs and reactor fuel. Super grade Pu, 2-3% Pu-240 is need for navy due to the increased time around weapons and the gamma 240 produces.
Plutonium-238
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
87.7 years
Alpha (5.593 MeV)
Fissile. Used in RTGs and produces about .57 watts per gram. Mostly produced by bombarding Np-237 with neutrons and beta decay.
Iron-55
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
2.737 years
Electron Capture (.00519)
Used as a potential X-Ray source or Auger elections. Comes from Fe-54 absorbing a neutrons.
Polonium-210
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
138.376 days
Alpha (5.407 MeV)
Decay chain of U-238. Contaminate found mostly in tobacco and seafood. Produces 140 watts per gram. Used as initiators. (a,n) process with beryllium. One microgram can kill an adult. Extremely toxic due to its radioactivity.
Iodine-131
Half Life
Decay Method
Applications
8.0197 days
Beta (606.3 or 333.8 KeV)
Gamma (364 or 636 KeV)
Fission product. Accumulates in the thyroid. Better to have a high dose to kill the thyroid than to have a lower dose and get cancer.
