Isotopes of lawrencium (103Lr)
Main isotopes[1] Decay
abun­dance half-life (t1/2) mode pro­duct
256Lr synth 27.9 s α 252Md
β+ 256No
260Lr synth 3.0 min α 256Md
β+ 260No
261Lr synth 39 min SF –
262Lr synth 4 h β+ 262No
264Lr synth 4.8 h[2] SF –
266Lr synth 11 h SF –

Lawrencium (103Lr) is a synthetic element, and thus a standard atomic weight cannot be given. Like all synthetic elements, it has no stable isotopes. The first isotope to be synthesized was 258Lr in 1961. There are fourteen known isotopes from 251Lr to 266Lr, and seven isomers. The longest-lived known isotope is 266Lr with a half-life of 11 hours.

List of isotopes

Nuclide
[n 1] 		Z N Isotopic mass (Da)
[n 2][n 3] 		Half-life
 Decay
mode
[n 4] 		Daughter
isotope
 Spin and
parity
[n 5][n 6]
Excitation energy[n 6]
251Lr[3] 103 148 251.09418(32)# 24.4+7.0
−4.5 ms 		α 247Md 7/2−
SF[4][n 7] (various)
251mLr[3] 117(27) keV 42+42
−14 ms 		α 247Md 1/2−
252Lr[n 8][1] 103 149 252.09526(26)# 369(75) ms
[0.36+0.11
−0.07 s] 		α (~98%) 248Md
SF (~2%) (various)
β+? 252No
253Lr[5] 103 150 253.09509(22)# 632(46) ms[1] α (>97%) 249Md (7/2−)
SF (1.0%) (various)
β+ (<2%) 253No
253mLr 30(100)# keV 1.32(14) s α (>86%) 249Md (1/2−)
SF (12%) (various)
β+ (<2%) 253No
254Lr[1][6] 103 151 254.096240(100)[7] 11.9(9) s α (71.7%) 250Md (4+)
β+ (28.3%) 254No
SF (<0.1%) (various)
254mLr 110(6) keV[8] 20.3(4.2) s α 250Md (1-)
β+ 254No
IT? 254Lr
255Lr[1] 103 152 255.096562(19) 31.1(1.1) s α (85%) 251Md 1/2−[3]
β+ (15%)[9] 255No
SF (rare) (various)
255m1Lr[1] 32(2) keV[8] 2.54(5) s IT (~60%) 255Lr (7/2−)
α (~40%) 251Md
255m2Lr[1] 796(12) keV <1 μs IT 255m1Lr (15/2+)
255m3Lr[1] 1465(12) keV 1.78(0.05) ms IT 255m2Lr (25/2+)
256Lr[1] 103 153 256.09849(9) 27.9(1.0) s α (85%) 252Md (0-,3-)#
β+ (15%) 256No
SF (<0.03%) (various)
257Lr[10] 103 154 257.09942(5)# 1.24+0.85
−0.36 s 		α 253Md (9/2+,7/2-)
β+ (rare) 257No
SF (rare) (various)
257mLr[1] 100(50)# keV 200+160
−60 ms 		α 253Md (1/2−)
IT 257Lr
258Lr[11] 103 155 258.10176(11)# 3.54+0.46
−0.36 s 		α (97.4%) 254Md
β+ (2.6%) 258No
259Lr[1] 103 156 259.10290(8)# 6.2(3) s α (78%) 255Md 1/2-#
SF (22%) (various)
β+ (rare) 259No
260Lr[1] 103 157 260.10551(13)# 3.0(5) min α (80%) 256Md
β+ (20%) 260No
SF (rare) (various)
261Lr[1] 103 158 261.10688(22)# 39(12) min SF (various) 1/2-#
α (<10%)[12] 257Md
262Lr[1] 103 159 262.10961(22)# ~4 h β+ 262No
SF (<10%) (various)
α (<7.5%)[13] 258Md
264Lr[n 9] 103 161 264.11420(47)# 4.8+2.2
−1.3 h[2] 		SF (various)
266Lr[n 10] 103 163 266.11983(56)# 22(14) h
[11+21
−5 h][1] 		SF (various)
This table header & footer:
  1. ^ mLr – Excited nuclear isomer.
  2. ^ ( ) – Uncertainty (1σ) is given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits.
  3. ^ # – Atomic mass marked #: value and uncertainty derived not from purely experimental data, but at least partly from trends from the Mass Surface (TMS).
  4. ^ Modes of decay:
    SF: Spontaneous fission
  5. ^ ( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments.
  6. ^ a b # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN).
  7. ^ The experiment in which alpha decay of two 251Lr states was reported did not take into account spontaneous fission branches.[3]
  8. ^ Not directly synthesized, occurs as a decay product of 256Db
  9. ^ Not directly synthesized, occurs as a decay product of 288Mc
  10. ^ Not directly synthesized, occurs as a decay product of 294Ts

Nucleosynthesis

Cold fusion

205Tl(50Ti,xn)255−xLr (x=2)

This reaction was studied in a series of experiments in 1976 by Yuri Oganessian and his team at the FLNR. Evidence was provided for the formation of 253Lr in the 2n exit channel. In 2022, two states (253Lr and 253mLr) were found.

203Tl(50Ti,xn)253−xLr (x=2)

This reaction was studied in a series of experiments in 1976 by Yuri Oganessian and his team at the FLNR. In 2022, two states (251Lr and 251mLr) were found.

208Pb(48Ti,pxn)255−xLr (x=1?)

This reaction was reported in 1984 by Yuri Oganessian at the FLNR. The team was able to detect decays of 246Cf, a descendant of 254Lr.

208Pb(45Sc,xn)253−xLr

This reaction was studied in a series of experiments in 1976 by Yuri Oganessian and his team at the FLNR. Results are not readily available.

209Bi(48Ca,xn)257−xLr (x=2)

This reaction has been used to study the spectroscopic properties of 255Lr. The team at GANIL used the reaction in 2003 and the team at the FLNR used it between 2004–2006 to provide further information for the decay scheme of 255Lr. The work provided evidence for an isomeric level in 255Lr.

Hot fusion

243Am(18O,xn)261−xLr (x=5)

This reaction was first studied in 1965 by the team at the FLNR. They were able to detect activity with a characteristic decay of 45 seconds, which was assigned to256Lr or 257Lr. Later work suggests an assignment to 256Lr. Further studies in 1968 produced an 8.35–8.60 MeV alpha activity with a half-life of 35 seconds. This activity was also initially assigned to 256Lr or 257Lr and later to solely 256Lr.

243Am(16O,xn)259−xLr (x=4)

This reaction was studied in 1970 by the team at the FLNR. They were able to detect an 8.38 MeV alpha activity with a half-life of 20s. This was assigned to255Lr.

248Cm(15N,xn)263−xLr (x=3,4,5)

This reaction was studied in 1971 by the team at the LBNL in their large study of lawrencium isotopes. They were able to assign alpha activities to260Lr,259Lr and 258Lr from the 3-5n exit channels.

248Cm(18O,pxn)265−xLr (x=3,4)

This reaction was studied in 1988 at the LBNL in order to assess the possibility of producing 262Lr and 261Lr without using the exotic 254Es target. It was also used to attempt to measure an electron capture (EC) branch in 261mRf from the 5n exit channel. After extraction of the Lr(III) component, they were able to measure the spontaneous fission of 261Lr with an improved half-life of 44 minutes. The production cross-section was 700 pb. On this basis, a 14% electron capture branch was calculated if this isotope was produced via the 5n channel rather than the p4n channel. A lower bombarding energy (93 MeV c.f. 97 MeV) was then used to measure the production of 262Lr in the p3n channel. The isotope was successfully detected and a yield of 240 pb was measured. The yield was lower than expected compared to the p4n channel. However, the results were judged to indicate that the 261Lr was most likely produced by a p3n channel and an upper limit of 14% for the electron capture branch of 261mRf was therefore suggested.

246Cm(14N,xn)260−xLr (x=3?)

This reaction was studied briefly in 1958 at the LBNL using an enriched 244Cm target (5% 246Cm). They observed a ~9 MeV alpha activity with a half-life of ~0.25 seconds. Later results suggest a tentative assignment to 257Lr from the 3n channel

244Cm(14N,xn)258−xLr

This reaction was studied briefly in 1958 at the LBNL using an enriched 244Cm target (5% 246Cm). They observed a ~9 MeV alpha activity with a half-life of ~0.25s. Later results suggest a tentative assignment to 257Lr from the 3n channel with the 246Cm component. No activities assigned to reaction with the 244Cm component have been reported.

249Bk(18O,αxn)263−xLr (x=3)

This reaction was studied in 1971 by the team at the LBNL in their large study of lawrencium isotopes. They were able to detect an activity assigned to 260Lr. The reaction was further studied in 1988 to study the aqueous chemistry of lawrencium. A total of 23 alpha decays were measured for 260Lr, with a mean energy of 8.03 MeV and an improved half-life of 2.7 minutes. The calculated cross-section was 8.7 nb.

252Cf(11B,xn)263−xLr (x=5,7??)

This reaction was first studied in 1961 at the University of California by Albert Ghiorso by using a californium target (52% 252Cf). They observed three alpha activities of 8.6, 8.4 and 8.2 MeV, with half-lives of about 8 and 15 seconds, respectively. The 8.6 MeV activity was tentatively assigned to 257Lr. Later results suggest a reassignment to 258Lr, resulting from the 5n exit channel. The 8.4 MeV activity was also assigned to 257Lr. Later results suggest a reassignment to 256Lr. This is most likely from the 33% 250Cf component in the target rather than from the 7n channel. The 8.2 MeV was subsequently associated with nobelium.

252Cf(10B,xn)262−xLr (x=4,6)

This reaction was first studied in 1961 at the University of California by Albert Ghiorso by using a californium target (52% 252Cf). They observed three alpha activities of 8.6, 8.4 and 8.2 MeV, with half-lives of about 8 and 15 seconds, respectively. The 8.6 MeV activity was tentatively assigned to 257Lr. Later results suggest a reassignment to 258Lr. The 8.4 MeV activity was also assigned to 257Lr. Later results suggest a reassignment to 256Lr. The 8.2 MeV was subsequently associated with nobelium.

250Cf(14N,αxn)260−xLr (x=3)

This reaction was studied in 1971 at the LBNL. They were able to identify a 0.7s alpha activity with two alpha lines at 8.87 and 8.82 MeV. This was assigned to257Lr.

249Cf(11B,xn)260−xLr (x=4)

This reaction was first studied in 1970 at the LBNL in an attempt to study the aqueous chemistry of lawrencium. They were able to measure a Lr3+ activity. The reaction was repeated in 1976 at Oak Ridge and 26s 256Lr was confirmed by measurement of coincident X-rays.

249Cf(12C,pxn)260−xLr (x=2)

This reaction was studied in 1971 by the team at the LBNL. They were able to detect an activity assigned to 258Lr from the p2n channel.

249Cf(15N,αxn)260−xLr (x=2,3)

This reaction was studied in 1971 by the team at the LBNL. They were able to detect an activities assigned to 258Lr and 257Lr from the α2n and α3n and channels. The reaction was repeated in 1976 at Oak Ridge and the synthesis of 258Lr was confirmed.

254Es + 22Ne – transfer

This reaction was studied in 1987 at the LLNL. They were able to detect new spontaneous fission (SF) activities assigned to 261Lr and 262Lr, resulting from transfer from the 22Ne nuclei to the 254Es target. In addition, a 5 ms SF activity was detected in delayed coincidence with nobelium K-shell X-rays and was assigned to 262No, resulting from the electron capture of 262Lr.

Decay products

Isotopes of lawrencium have also been identified in the decay of heavier elements. Observations to date are summarised in the table below:

List of lawrencium isotopes produced as other nuclei decay products
Parent nuclide Observed lawrencium isotope
294Ts, 290Mc, 286Nh, 282Rg, 278Mt, 274Bh, 270Db 266Lr
288Mc, 284Nh, 280Rg, 276Mt, 272Bh, 268Db 264Lr
267Bh, 263Db 259Lr
278Nh, 274Rg, 270Mt, 266Bh, 262Db 258Lr
261Db 257Lr
272Rg, 268Mt, 264Bh, 260Db 256Lr
259Db 255Lr
266Mt, 262Bh, 258Db 254Lr
261Bh, 257Dbg,m 253Lrg,m
260Bh, 256Db 252Lr
255Db 251Lr

Isotopes

Summary of all lawrencium isotopes known
Isotope Year discovered discovery reaction
251Lrg 2005 209Bi(48Ti,2n)
251Lrm 2022 203Tl(50Ti,2n)
252Lr 2001 209Bi(50Ti,3n)
253Lrg 1985 209Bi(50Ti,2n)
253Lrm 2001 209Bi(50Ti,2n)
254Lrg 1985 209Bi(50Ti,n)
254Lrm 2019
255Lrg 1970 243Am(16O,4n)
255Lrm1 2006
255Lrm2 2009
255Lrm3 2008
256Lr 1961? 1965? 1968? 1971 252Cf(10B,6n)
257Lrg 1958? 1971 249Cf(15N,α3n)
257Lrm 2018
258Lr 1961? 1971 249Cf(15N,α2n)
259Lr 1971 248Cm(15N,4n)
260Lr 1971 248Cm(15N,3n)
261Lr 1987 254Es + 22Ne
262Lr 1987 254Es + 22Ne
264Lr 2020 243Am(48Ca,6α3n)
266Lr 2014 249Bk(48Ca,7α3n)

Fourteen isotopes of lawrencium plus seven isomers have been synthesized with 266Lr being the longest-lived and the heaviest, with a half-life of 11 hours. 251Lr is the lightest isotope of lawrencium to be produced to date.

Lawrencium-253 isomers

A study of the decay properties of 257Db (see dubnium) in 2001 by Hessberger et al. at the GSI provided some data for the decay of 253Lr. Analysis of the data indicated the population of an isomeric level in 253Lr from the decay of the corresponding isomer in 257Db. The ground state was assigned spin and parity of 7/2−, decaying by emission of an 8794 keV alpha particle with a half-life of 0.57 s. The isomeric level was assigned spin and parity of 1/2−, decaying by emission of an 8722 keV alpha particle with a half-life of 1.49 s.

Lawrencium-255 isomers

Recent work on the spectroscopy of 255Lr formed in the reaction 209Bi(48Ca,2n)255Lr has provided evidence for an isomeric level.

References

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  2. ^ a b Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Utyonkov, V. K.; Kovrizhnykh, N. D.; et al. (2022). "New isotope 286Mc produced in the 243Am+48Ca reaction". Physical Review C. 106 (064306). doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.106.064306.
  3. ^ a b c d Huang, T.; Seweryniak, D.; Back, B. B.; et al. (2022). "Discovery of the new isotope 251Lr: Impact of the hexacontetrapole deformation on single-proton orbital energies near the Z = 100 deformed shell gap". Physical Review C. 106 (L061301). doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.106.L061301. S2CID 254300224.
  4. ^ Leppänen, A.-P. (2005). Alpha-decay and decay-tagging studies of heavy elements using the RITU separator (PDF) (Thesis). University of Jyväskylä. pp. 83–100. ISBN 978-951-39-3162-9. ISSN 0075-465X.
  5. ^ Streicher, B. (1 July 2006). "Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of transfermium isotopes with Z = 105, 106 and 107". Retrieved 2 July 2023. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ Vostinar, M.; Heßberger, F. P.; Ackermann, D.; Andel, B.; Antalic, S.; Block, M.; Droese, Ch.; Even, J.; Heinz, S.; Kalaninova, Z.; Kojouharov, I.; Laatiaoui, M.; Mistry, A. K.; Piot, J.; Savajols, H. (14 February 2019). "Alpha-gamma decay studies of 258Db and its (grand)daughter nuclei 254Lr and 250Md". The European Physical Journal A. 55 (2): 17. Bibcode:2019EPJA...55...17V. doi:10.1140/epja/i2019-12701-y. ISSN 1434-601X. S2CID 254115080. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  7. ^ Meng Wang; et al. (2021). "The AME 2020 atomic mass evaluation (II). Tables, graphs and references". Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030003. Bibcode:2021ChPhC..45c0003W. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddaf. S2CID 235282522.
  8. ^ a b Brankica Anđelić (2021). Direct mass measurements of No, Lr and Rf isotopes with SHIPTRAP and developments for chemical isobaric separation (PhD thesis). University of Groningen. doi:10.33612/diss.173546003.
  9. ^ Chatillon, A.; Theisen, Ch.; Greenlees, P. T.; Auger, G.; Bastin, J. E.; Bouchez, E.; Bouriquet, B.; Casandjian, J. M.; Cee, R.; Clément, E.; Dayras, R.; de France, G.; de Toureil, R.; Eeckhaudt, S.; Görgen, A.; Grahn, T.; Grévy, S.; Hauschild, K.; Herzberg, R. -D.; Ikin, P. J. C.; Jones, G. D.; Jones, P.; Julin, R.; Juutinen, S.; Kettunen, H.; Korichi, A.; Korten, W.; Le Coz, Y.; Leino, M.; Lopez-Martens, A.; Lukyanov, S. M.; Penionzhkevich, Yu. E.; Perkowski, J.; Pritchard, A.; Rahkila, P.; Rejmund, M.; Saren, J.; Scholey, C.; Siem, S.; Saint-Laurent, M. G.; Simenel, C.; Sobolev, Yu. G.; Stodel, Ch.; Uusitalo, J.; Villari, A.; Bender, M.; Bonche, P.; Heenen, P. -H. (1 November 2006). "Spectroscopy and single-particle structure of the odd- Z heavy elements 255Lr, 251Md and 247Es". The European Physical Journal A - Hadrons and Nuclei. 30 (2): 397–411. Bibcode:2006EPJA...30..397C. doi:10.1140/epja/i2006-10134-5. ISSN 1434-601X. S2CID 123346991. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  10. ^ Heßberger, F. P.; Antalic, S.; Mistry, A. K.; Ackermann, D.; Andel, B.; Block, M.; Kalaninova, Z.; Kindler, B.; Kojouharov, I.; Laatiaoui, M.; Lommel, B.; Piot, J.; Vostinar, M. (20 July 2016). "Alpha- and EC-decay measurements of 257Rf". The European Physical Journal A. 52 (7): 192. Bibcode:2016EPJA...52..192H. doi:10.1140/epja/i2016-16192-0. ISSN 1434-601X. S2CID 254108438. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  11. ^ Haba, H.; Huang, M.; Kaji, D.; Kanaya, J.; Kudou, Y.; Morimoto, K.; Morita, K.; Murakami, M.; Ozeki, K.; Sakai, R.; Sumita, T.; Wakabayashi, Y.; Yoneda, A.; Kasamatsu, Y.; Kikutani, Y.; Komori, Y.; Nakamura, K.; Shinohara, A.; Kikunaga, H.; Kudo, H.; Nishio, K.; Toyoshima, A.; Tsukada, K. (28 February 2014). "Production of 262Db in the 248Cm(19F,5n)262Db reaction and decay properties of 262Db and 258Lr". Physical Review C. 89 (2): 024618. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.89.024618. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  12. ^ Hulet, E. K. (22 October 1990). "New, heavy transuranium isotopes". Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA). OSTI 6028419. Retrieved 3 July 2023. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ Hulet, E. K. (22 October 1990). "New, heavy transuranium isotopes". Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA). OSTI 6028419. Retrieved 3 July 2023. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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