Half-lives for selected actinides and long-lived radionuclides

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6989642

Holden, N E

Long-lived actinide nuclides are of interest for their use in nuclear reactors, for nuclear reactor burnup studies in waste management, and for safeguard applications, e.g., ..cap alpha.. counting is used to determine the amount of material present. Some long-lived radionuclides are of interest for their use in determining geological ages using various dating methods, and in calculating the cosmic-ray exposure ages of meteorites. Recommended values are presented for both the total half-life and for the spontaneous fission half-life of /sup 232-236,238/U, of /sup 236,238-242,244/Pu, of /sup 241,242m,243/Am, and of /sup 242-248,250/Cm. Problems with the presentation of uncertainties are discussed. The impact of the revised /sup 14/C half-life on the carbon dating technique and various /sup 14/C ages is discussed. The possible primordial occurrence of /sup 92/Nb is now definitely ruled out. Based on examination of the /sup 26/Al half-life, the calculated value for the cosmic-ray exposure age of meteorites remains too high compared to the age calculated using other radionuclide half-life values. /sup 204/Pb, which was once thought to be radioactive, is shown to be stable. 37 refs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6989642
• Report Number(s): BNL-NCS-41381; CONF-880546-23; ON: DE88012521
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

653006* -- Nuclear Theory-- Spontaneous & Induced Fission
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACTINIDES
ALPHA DECAY
ALUMINIUM
AMERICIUM
BURNUP
CARBON
CURIUM
DECAY
ELEMENTS
FISSION
HALF-LIFE
ISOTOPES
LEAD
LIFETIME
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NIOBIUM
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
PLUTONIUM
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
SPONTANEOUS FISSION
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM
WASTE MANAGEMENT