Isotopes of curium (₉₆Cm)

Main isotopes^[1]			Decay
	abundance	half-life (t_1/2)	mode	product
²⁴²Cm	synth	162.8 d	α	²³⁸Pu
			SF	–
			³⁴Si	²⁰⁸Pb
²⁴³Cm	synth	29.1 y	α	²³⁹Pu
			ε	²⁴³Am
			SF	–
²⁴⁴Cm	synth	18.11 y	α	²⁴⁰Pu
²⁴⁴Cm	synth	18.11 y	SF	–
²⁴⁵Cm	synth	8250 y	α	²⁴¹Pu
²⁴⁵Cm	synth	8250 y	SF	–
²⁴⁶Cm	synth	4760 y	α	²⁴²Pu
²⁴⁶Cm	synth	4760 y	SF	–
²⁴⁷Cm	synth	1.56×10⁷ y	α	²⁴³Pu
²⁴⁸Cm	synth	3.480×10⁵ y	α	²⁴⁴Pu
²⁴⁸Cm	synth	3.480×10⁵ y	SF	–
²⁵⁰Cm	synth	8300 y	SF	–
			α	²⁴⁶Pu
			β⁻	²⁵⁰Bk

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 ²⁴²Cm in 1944, which has 146 neutrons.

There are 19 known radioisotopes ranging from ²³³Cm to ²⁵¹Cm. There are also ten known nuclear isomers. The longest-lived isotope is ²⁴⁷Cm, 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.^[2]^[3] The longest-lived isomer is ^246mCm with a half-life of 1.12 seconds.

List of isotopes

Nuclide ^{[n 1]}	Z	N	Isotopic mass (Da) ^{[n 2]}^{[n 3]}	Half-life ^{[n 4]}	Decay mode ^{[n 5]}	Daughter isotope	Spin and parity ^{[n 6]}^{[n 4]}
Nuclide ^{[n 1]}	Excitation energy^{[n 4]}			Half-life ^{[n 4]}	Decay mode ^{[n 5]}	Daughter isotope	Spin and parity ^{[n 6]}^{[n 4]}
²³³Cm	96	137	233.05077(8)	23+13 −6 s	β⁺ (80%)	²³³Am	3/2+#
²³³Cm	96	137	233.05077(8)	23+13 −6 s	α (20%)	²²⁹Pu	3/2+#
²³⁴Cm	96	138	234.05016(2)	52(9) s	β⁺ (71%)	²³⁴Am	0+
					α (27%)	²³⁰Pu
					SF (2%)	(various)
²³⁵Cm^[4]	96	139	235.05143(22)#	300+250 −100 s	β⁺ (99.0%)	²³⁵Am	(5/2+)
²³⁵Cm^[4]	96	139	235.05143(22)#	300+250 −100 s	α (1.0%)	²³¹Pu	(5/2+)
²³⁶Cm	96	140	236.05141(22)#	6.8(8) min	β⁺ (82%)	²³⁶Am	0+
					α (18%)	²³²Pu
					SF (<0.1%)^[5]	(various)
²³⁷Cm^[6]^[4]	96	141	237.05290(22)#	>660 s	β⁺	²³⁷Am	(5/2+)
²³⁷Cm^[6]^[4]	96	141	237.05290(22)#	>660 s	α (<1%)	²³³Pu	(5/2+)
²³⁸Cm^[6]	96	142	238.05303(4)	2.2(4) h	EC (~94%)	²³⁸Am	0+
²³⁸Cm^[6]	96	142	238.05303(4)	2.2(4) h	α (~6%)	²³⁴Pu	0+
²³⁹Cm^[1]	96	143	239.05496(11)#	2.5(4) h	β⁺	²³⁹Am	(7/2−)
²³⁹Cm^[1]	96	143	239.05496(11)#	2.5(4) h	α (6.2x10⁻³%)	²³⁵Pu	(7/2−)
²⁴⁰Cm	96	144	240.0555295(25)	27(1) d	α (99.5%)	²³⁶Pu	0+
					EC (.5%)	²⁴⁰Am
					SF (3.9×10⁻⁶%)	(various)
²⁴¹Cm	96	145	241.0576530(23)	32.8(2) d	EC (99%)	²⁴¹Am	1/2+
²⁴¹Cm	96	145	241.0576530(23)	32.8(2) d	α (1%)	²³⁷Pu	1/2+
²⁴²Cm^{[n 7]}	96	146	242.0588358(20)	162.8(2) d	α^{[n 8]}	²³⁸Pu	0+
					SF (6.33×10⁻⁶%)	(various)
					CD (10⁻¹⁴%)^{[n 9]}	²⁰⁸Pb ³⁴Si
^242mCm	2800(100) keV			180(70) ns
²⁴³Cm	96	147	243.0613891(22)	29.1(1) y	α (99.71%)	²³⁹Pu	5/2+
					EC (.29%)	²⁴³Am
					SF (5.3×10⁻⁹%)	(various)
^243mCm	87.4(1) keV			1.08(3) μs	IT	²⁴³Cm	1/2+
²⁴⁴Cm^{[n 7]}	96	148	244.0627526(20)	18.10(2) y	α	²⁴⁰Pu	0+
²⁴⁴Cm^{[n 7]}	96	148	244.0627526(20)	18.10(2) y	SF (1.34×10⁻⁴%)	(various)	0+
^244m1Cm	1040.188(12) keV			34(2) ms	IT	²⁴⁴Cm	6+
^244m2Cm	1100(900)# keV			>500 ns	SF	(various)
²⁴⁵Cm	96	149	245.0654912(22)	8.5(1)×10³ y	α	²⁴¹Pu	7/2+
²⁴⁵Cm	96	149	245.0654912(22)	8.5(1)×10³ y	SF (6.1×10⁻⁷%)	(various)	7/2+
^245mCm	355.92(10) keV			290(20) ns	IT	²⁴⁵Cm	1/2+
²⁴⁶Cm	96	150	246.0672237(22)	4.76(4)×10³ y	α (99.97%)	²⁴²Pu	0+
²⁴⁶Cm	96	150	246.0672237(22)	4.76(4)×10³ y	SF (.0261%)	(various)	0+
^246mCm	1179.66(13) keV			1.12(0.24) s	IT	²⁴⁶Cm	8-
²⁴⁷Cm	96	151	247.070354(5)	1.56(5)×10⁷ y	α	²⁴³Pu	9/2−
^247m1Cm	227.38(19) keV			26.3(0.3) μs	IT	²⁴⁷Cm	5/2+
^247m2Cm	404.90(3) keV			100.6(0.6) ns	IT	²⁴⁷Cm	1/2+
²⁴⁸Cm	96	152	248.072349(5)	3.48(6)×10⁵ y	α (91.74%)	²⁴⁴Pu	0+
²⁴⁸Cm	96	152	248.072349(5)	3.48(6)×10⁵ y	SF (8.26%)	(various)	0+
^248mCm	1458.1(1) keV			146(18) μs	IT	²⁴⁸Cm	(8-)
²⁴⁹Cm	96	153	249.075953(5)	64.15(3) min	β⁻	²⁴⁹Bk	1/2(+)
^249mCm	48.758(17) keV			23 μs	α	²⁴⁵Pu	(7/2+)
²⁵⁰Cm	96	154	250.078357(12)	8300# y	SF (74%)^{[n 10]}	(various)	0+
					α (18%)	²⁴⁶Pu
					β⁻ (8%)	²⁵⁰Bk
²⁵¹Cm	96	155	251.082285(24)	16.8(2) min	β⁻	²⁵¹Bk	(1/2+)
This table header & footer: view

^ ^mCm – 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).
^ ^a ^b ^c # – 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.
^ ^a ^b Most common isotopes
^ Theoretically capable of β⁺β⁺ decay to ²⁴²Pu^[1]
^ 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 v t e
Actinides^[7] by decay chain				Half-life range (a)	Fission products of ²³⁵U by yield^[8]
4n	4n + 1	4n + 2	4n + 3	Half-life range (a)	4.5–7%	0.04–1.25%	<0.001%
²²⁸Ra^№				4–6 a		¹⁵⁵Eu^þ
²⁴⁴Cm^ƒ	²⁴¹Pu^ƒ	²⁵⁰Cf	²²⁷Ac^№	10–29 a	⁹⁰Sr	⁸⁵Kr	^113mCd^þ
²³²U^ƒ		²³⁸Pu^ƒ	²⁴³Cm^ƒ	29–97 a	¹³⁷Cs	¹⁵¹Sm^þ	^121mSn
²⁴⁸Bk^[9]	²⁴⁹Cf^ƒ	^242mAm^ƒ		141–351 a	No fission products have a half-life in the range of 100 a–210 ka ...
	²⁴¹Am^ƒ		²⁵¹Cf^ƒ^[10]	430–900 a
		²²⁶Ra^№	²⁴⁷Bk	1.3–1.6 ka
²⁴⁰Pu	²²⁹Th	²⁴⁶Cm^ƒ	²⁴³Am^ƒ	4.7–7.4 ka
	²⁴⁵Cm^ƒ	²⁵⁰Cm		8.3–8.5 ka
			²³⁹Pu^ƒ	24.1 ka
		²³⁰Th^№	²³¹Pa^№	32–76 ka
²³⁶Np^ƒ	²³³U^ƒ	²³⁴U^№		150–250 ka	⁹⁹Tc^₡	¹²⁶Sn
²⁴⁸Cm		²⁴²Pu		327–375 ka		⁷⁹Se^₡
				1.53 Ma	⁹³Zr
	²³⁷Np^ƒ			2.1–6.5 Ma	¹³⁵Cs^₡	¹⁰⁷Pd
²³⁶U			²⁴⁷Cm^ƒ	15–24 Ma		¹²⁹I^₡
²⁴⁴Pu				80 Ma	... nor beyond 15.7 Ma^[11]
²³²Th^№		²³⁸U^№	²³⁵U^ƒ№	0.7–14.1 Ga	... nor beyond 15.7 Ma^[11]
₡, has thermal neutron capture cross section in the range of 8–50 barns ƒ, fissile №, primarily a naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) þ, neutron poison (thermal neutron capture cross section greater than 3k barns)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c 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). "129 I and 247 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.
^ ^a ^b 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 236Cm and new data on 233Cm and 237, 238, 240Cf" (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.
^ ^a ^b 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 238Cm and the new isotope 237Cm". 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 Bk²⁴⁸ with a half-life greater than 9 [years]. No growth of Cf²⁴⁸ was detected, and a lower limit for the β⁻ half-life can be set at about 10⁴ [years]. No alpha activity attributable to the new isomer has been detected; the alpha half-life is probably greater than 300 [years]."
^ 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 ²³²Th; e.g., while ^113mCd has a half-life of only fourteen years, that of ¹¹³Cd is nearly 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
Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from:
- de Laeter, John Robert; Böhlke, John Karl; De Bièvre, Paul; Hidaka, Hiroshi; Peiser, H. Steffen; Rosman, Kevin J. R.; Taylor, Philip D. P. (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 75 (6): 683–800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683.
- Wieser, Michael E. (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 78 (11): 2051–2066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051.
"News & Notices: Standard Atomic Weights Revised". International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. 19 October 2005.
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.