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Californium (98Cf) is anartificial element, and thus astandard atomic weight cannot be given. Like all artificial elements, it has nostable isotopes. The firstisotope to be synthesized was245Cf in 1950. There are 20 knownradioisotopes ranging from237Cf to256Cf and onenuclear isomer,249mCf. The longest-lived isotope is251Cf with ahalf-life of 898 years.
Nuclide [n 1] | Z | N | Isotopic mass(Da)[3] [n 2][n 3] | Half-life[4] | Decay mode[4] [n 4] | Daughter isotope | Spin and parity[4] [n 5][n 6] | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Excitation energy | |||||||||||||||||||
237Cf | 98 | 139 | 237.06220(10) | 0.8(2) s | α (70%) | 233Cm | 5/2+# | ||||||||||||
SF (30%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
β+ (rare) | 237Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
238Cf | 98 | 140 | 238.06149(32)# | 21.1(13) ms | SF[n 7] | (various) | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α (<5%) | 234Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
239Cf[5] | 98 | 141 | 239.06248(13)# | 28(2) s | α (65%) | 235Cm | (5/2+) | ||||||||||||
β+ (35%) | 239Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
240Cf | 98 | 142 | 240.062253(19) | 40.3(9) s | α (98.5%) | 236Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (1.5%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
β+? | 240Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
241Cf[5] | 98 | 143 | 241.06369(18)# | 2.35(18) min | β+ (85%) | 241Bk | (7/2−) | ||||||||||||
α (15%) | 237Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
242Cf | 98 | 144 | 242.063755(14) | 3.49(15) min | α (61%) | 238Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
β+ (39%) | 242Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
SF (<0.014%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
243Cf | 98 | 145 | 243.06548(19)# | 10.8(3) min | β+ (86%) | 243Bk | (1/2+) | ||||||||||||
α (14%) | 239Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
244Cf | 98 | 146 | 244.0659994(28) | 19.5(5) min | α (75%) | 240Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
EC (25%) | 244Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
245Cf | 98 | 147 | 245.0680468(26) | 45.0(15) min | β+ (64.7%) | 245Bk | 1/2+ | ||||||||||||
α (35.3%) | 241Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
245mCf | 57(4) keV | >100# ns | IT | 245Cf | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||||
246Cf | 98 | 148 | 246.0688037(16) | 35.7(5) h | α | 242Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (2.4×10−4%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
EC? | 246Bk | ||||||||||||||||||
247Cf | 98 | 149 | 247.070971(15) | 3.11(3) h | EC (99.965%) | 247Bk | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||
α (.035%) | 243Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
248Cf | 98 | 150 | 248.0721829(55) | 333.5(28) d | α (99.997%) | 244Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (.0029%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
249Cf | 98 | 151 | 249.0748504(13) | 351(2) y | α | 245Cm | 9/2− | ||||||||||||
SF (5×10−7%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
249mCf | 144.98(5) keV | 45(5) μs | IT | 249Cf | 5/2+ | ||||||||||||||
250Cf | 98 | 152 | 250.0764045(17) | 13.08(9) y | α (99.923%) | 246Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (.077%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
251Cf[n 8] | 98 | 153 | 251.0795872(42) | 898(44) y | α | 247Cm | 1/2+ | ||||||||||||
251mCf | 370.47(3) keV | 1.3(1) μs | IT | 251Cf | 11/2− | ||||||||||||||
252Cf[n 9] | 98 | 154 | 252.0816265(25) | 2.645(8) y | α (96.8972%) | 248Cm | 0+ | ||||||||||||
SF (3.1028%)[n 10] | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
253Cf | 98 | 155 | 253.0851337(46) | 17.81(8) d | β− (99.69%) | 253Es | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||
α (.31%) | 249Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
254Cf | 98 | 156 | 254.087324(12) | 60.5(2) d | SF (99.69%) | (various) | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α (.31%) | 250Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
β−β−? | 254Fm | ||||||||||||||||||
255Cf | 98 | 157 | 255.09105(22)# | 85(18) min | β− | 255Es | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||
SF? | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
α? | 251Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
256Cf | 98 | 158 | 256.09344(34)# | 12.3(12) min | SF | (various) | 0+ | ||||||||||||
α? | 252Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
β−β−? | 256Fm | ||||||||||||||||||
This table header & footer: |
EC: | Electron capture |
SF: | Spontaneous fission |
Actinides[6] bydecay chain | Half-life range (a) | Fission products of235U byyield[7] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4n | 4n + 1 | 4n + 2 | 4n + 3 | 4.5–7% | 0.04–1.25% | <0.001% | ||
228Ra№ | 4–6 a | 155Euþ | ||||||
248Bk[8] | > 9 a | |||||||
244Cmƒ | 241Puƒ | 250Cf | 227Ac№ | 10–29 a | 90Sr | 85Kr | 113mCdþ | |
232Uƒ | 238Puƒ | 243Cmƒ | 29–97 a | 137Cs | 151Smþ | 121mSn | ||
249Cfƒ | 242mAmƒ | 141–351 a | No fission products have ahalf-life | |||||
241Amƒ | 251Cfƒ[9] | 430–900 a | ||||||
226Ra№ | 247Bk | 1.3–1.6 ka | ||||||
240Pu | 229Th | 246Cmƒ | 243Amƒ | 4.7–7.4 ka | ||||
245Cmƒ | 250Cm | 8.3–8.5 ka | ||||||
239Puƒ | 24.1 ka | |||||||
230Th№ | 231Pa№ | 32–76 ka | ||||||
236Npƒ | 233Uƒ | 234U№ | 150–250 ka | 99Tc₡ | 126Sn | |||
248Cm | 242Pu | 327–375 ka | 79Se₡ | |||||
1.33 Ma | 135Cs₡ | |||||||
237Npƒ | 1.61–6.5 Ma | 93Zr | 107Pd | |||||
236U | 247Cmƒ | 15–24 Ma | 129I₡ | |||||
244Pu | 80 Ma | ... nor beyond 15.7 Ma[10] | ||||||
232Th№ | 238U№ | 235Uƒ№ | 0.7–14.1 Ga | |||||
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Californium-252 (Cf-252,252Cf) undergoes spontaneous fission with abranching ratio of 3.09% and is used in smallneutron sources. Fission neutrons have an energy range of 0 to 13 MeV with a mean value of 2.3 MeV and a most probable value of 1 MeV.[11]
Thisisotope produces high neutron emissions and has a number of uses in industries such as nuclear energy, medicine, andpetrochemical exploration.
Californium-252 neutron sources are most notably used in the start-up ofnuclear reactors. Once a reactor is filled withnuclear fuel, the stable neutron emission from said source starts the chain reaction.
The portable isotopic neutron spectroscopy (PINS) used byUnited States Armed Forces, theNational Guard,Homeland Security, andCustoms and Border Protection, uses252Cf sources to detect hazardous contents insideartillery projectiles,mortar projectiles,rockets,bombs,land mines, andimprovised explosive devices (IED).[12][13]
In theoil industry,252Cf is used to find layers ofpetroleum and water in awell. Instrumentation is lowered into the well, which bombards the formation with high energy neutrons to determineporosity,permeability, andhydrocarbon presence along the length of theborehole.[14]
Californium-252 has also been used in the treatment of serious forms ofcancer. For certain types of brain and cervical cancer,252Cf can be used as a more cost-effective substitute forradium.[15]