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Berkelium (97Bk) is anartificial element, and thus astandard atomic weight cannot be given. Like all artificial elements, it has nostable isotopes. The firstisotope to be synthesized was243Bk in 1949. There are nineteen knownradioisotopes, from233Bk to253Bk (except235Bk and237Bk), and sevennuclear isomers. The longest-lived isotope known is247Bk with ahalf-life of 1,380 years; however248Bk, which has not been observed to decay, may live longer.
The isotope commonly used in study, though, is249Bk as is it the only that can be usefully extracted from reactoractinides and the only ever available in weighable quantity.
| Nuclide [n 1] | Z | N | Isotopic mass(Da)[3] [n 2][n 3] | Half-life[1] | Decay mode[1] [n 4] | Daughter isotope | Spin and parity[1] [n 5][n 6] | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excitation energy[n 6] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 233Bk | 97 | 136 | 233.05665(25)# | 40(30) s | α (82%) | 229Am | 3/2−# | ||||||||||||
| β+? (18%) | 233Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
| 234Bk | 97 | 137 | 234.05732(16)# | 20(5) s | α (>80%) | 230Am | 3−# | ||||||||||||
| β+ (<20%) | 234Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
| 236Bk | 97 | 139 | 236.05748(39)# | 26(10) s | β+ (99.96%) | 236Cm | 4+# | ||||||||||||
| β+, SF (0.04%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 238Bk | 97 | 141 | 238.05820(28)# | 2.40(8) min | β+ (99.95%) | 238Cm | 1# | ||||||||||||
| β+, SF (0.048%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 239Bk | 97 | 142 | 239.05824(22)# | 100# s | β+ | 239Cm | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||
| 240Bk | 97 | 143 | 240.05976(16)# | 4.8(8) min | β+? | 240Cm | 7−# | ||||||||||||
| α? | 236Am | ||||||||||||||||||
| β+, SF (0.0013%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 241Bk | 97 | 144 | 241.06010(18)# | 4.6(4) min | β+ | 241Cm | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||
| 242Bk | 97 | 145 | 242.06200(14)# | 7.0(13) min | β+ | 242Cm | 3+# | ||||||||||||
| β+, SF (<3×10−5%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 242mBk | 2000(200)# keV | 600(100) ns | SF | (various) | |||||||||||||||
| 243Bk | 97 | 146 | 243.063006(5) | 4.6(2) h | β+ (99.85%) | 243Cm | 3/2− | ||||||||||||
| α (0.15%) | 239Am | ||||||||||||||||||
| 244Bk | 97 | 147 | 244.065179(15) | 5.02(3) h | β+ (99.994%)[n 7] | 244Cm | 4− | ||||||||||||
| α (0.006%) | 240Am | ||||||||||||||||||
| 244mBk | 1500(500)# keV | 820(60) ns | SF | (various) | |||||||||||||||
| 245Bk | 97 | 148 | 245.0663598(19) | 4.95(3) d | EC (99.88%) | 245Cm | 3/2− | ||||||||||||
| α (0.12%) | 241Am | ||||||||||||||||||
| 246Bk | 97 | 149 | 246.06867(6) | 1.80(2) d | β+ | 246Cm | 2(−) | ||||||||||||
| 247Bk | 97 | 150 | 247.070306(6) | 1.38(25)×103 y | α | 243Am | 3/2− | ||||||||||||
| SF? | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 248Bk | 97 | 151 | 248.07314(5) | >9 y | α? | 244Am | 6+# | ||||||||||||
| EC? | 248Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
| β−? | 248Cf | ||||||||||||||||||
| 248mBk[n 8] | −20(50) keV | 23.7(2) h | β− (70%) | 248Cf | 1(−) | ||||||||||||||
| EC (30%) | 248Cm | ||||||||||||||||||
| 249Bk[n 9] | 97 | 152 | 249.0749831(13) | 327.2(3) d | β− | 249Cf | 7/2+ | ||||||||||||
| α (0.00145%) | 245Am | ||||||||||||||||||
| SF (4.7×10−8%) | (various) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 249mBk | 8.777(14) keV | 300 μs | IT | 249Bk | 3/2− | ||||||||||||||
| 250Bk | 97 | 153 | 250.078317(3) | 3.212(5) h | β− | 250Cf | 2− | ||||||||||||
| 250m1Bk | 35.59(10) keV | 29(1) μs | IT | 250Bk | 4+ | ||||||||||||||
| 250m2Bk | 85.6(16) keV | 213(8) μs | IT | 250Bk | 7+ | ||||||||||||||
| 251Bk | 97 | 154 | 251.080761(12) | 55.6(11) min | β− | 251Cf | (3/2−) | ||||||||||||
| 251mBk | 35.5(13) keV | 58(4) μs | IT | 251Bk | (7/2+) | ||||||||||||||
| 252Bk | 97 | 155 | 252.08431(22)# | 1.8(5) min | β− | 252Cf | |||||||||||||
| 253Bk | 97 | 156 | 253.08688(39)# | 60# min | β−? | 253Cf | 3/2-# | ||||||||||||
| This table header & footer: | |||||||||||||||||||
| EC: | Electron capture |
| SF: | Spontaneous fission |
| Actinides[4] bydecay chain | Half-life range (a) | Fission products of235U byyield[5] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4n (Thorium) | 4n + 1 (Neptunium) | 4n + 2 (Radium) | 4n + 3 (Actinium) | 4.5–7% | 0.04–1.25% | <0.001% | ||
| 228Ra№ | 4–6 a | 155Euþ | ||||||
| 248Bk[6] | > 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[7] | 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[8] | ||||||
| 232Th№ | 238U№ | 235Uƒ№ | 0.7–14.1 Ga | |||||
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