ADOPTED LEVELS:TENTATIVE for 249Am
Author: C.D. Nesaraja | Citation: Nucl. Data Sheets 195, 718 (2024) | Cutoff date: 12-Oct-2023
Full ENSDF file | Adopted Levels (PDF version)
| Q(β-)=2270 keV CA | S(n)= 5560 keV CA | S(p)= 5910 keV CA | Q(α)= 4850 keV CA | ||
| Reference: 2019MO01 |
| E(level) (keV) | T1/2(level) |
| 0? | % β- = ? |
Additional Level Data and Comments:
| E(level) | Jπ(level) | T1/2(level) | Comments |
| 0 | % β- = ? | β- is expected to be the dominant decay mode of 249Am, since the theoretical half-life for α decay is 1015 s (2019Mo01). |
1960Di03: 249Pu produced from the decay of 249U in the debris of the first large-scale thermonuclear test (Ivy Mike) of November 1, 1952 in the Pacific Ocean. Airborne and condensed samples were collected, followed by chemical extraction and purification. The heavy uranium isotopes are expected to be produced in an environment of unusually high neutron flux (time-integrated flux of ≈1024 n/cm2) through successive neutron captures in 238U, with neutron energies of 14-MeV from deuterium-tritium fusion, and few MeV from the fission of 235U. The 249Cf fraction can be formed in 249U --> 249Np --> 249Pu --> 249Am --> 249Cm β- --> 249Bk β- --> 249Cf β- decay chain. Production of 249Am was inferred from the detection of 249Cf (T1/2=351 y). See also related articles: 1956Fi11, 1967Ho20, 1966Rg01 and 1969In01
Q-value: S(2n)=10020, S(2p)=14170 (theory,2019Mo01)