About the Wallet Cards
(9th Edition, 2023)

Introduction

This booklet serves as an update to the 2011 booklet [1] of the same name.

Included in the booklet are selected properties of all known nuclides and their long-lived isomeric states. Properties of ionized atoms are not included.

This evaluation relied heavily on the data from the Adopted Levels properties as given in the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF) [2] and the compilation of data in the eXperimental Unevaluated Nuclear Data List (XUNDL) [3].

The main bibliographic source for new measurements was the NSR database [4].

Data are updated to December 1, 2022.

Explanation of Table

Column 1-2, Nuclide (A, El):

Nuclides are listed in order of increasing atomic number (Z), and within a given element ordered by increasing mass number (A).

All known nuclides, as well as all isomers with a half-life larger than 0.1s, are included.

Isomeric states are indicated with the symbol, "m", "n" following the mass number and are given in the order of increasing excitation energy.

The names and symbols for elements (El) are as adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (2022) [5].

Column 3, Jπ:

Spin (J) and parity (π) assignments are provided as definite (without parentheses) and tentative (with parentheses).

The assignments are based upon strong and weak arguments, respectively, as detailed in the policies [6] of the Nuclear Data Sheets journal.

Column 4, Mass Excess, Δ:

Mass excess values are adopted from the 2020 Atomic Mass Evaluation [7].

The mass excess is defined as M − A, with Δ(12C) = 0 by definition, and are given in keV units.

For isomers, the values are determined by adding the excitation energy of the isomeric state to the mass excess of the ground state.

In cases where the excitation energy is not known, the mass excess for the ground state is given.

Uncertainties are in the last significant figure, that is -88836.0 14 means -88836.0 ± 1.4 keV.

The notation "SY" indicates that the mass excess value is derived from systematics.

Column 5, T1/2, Γ, or Abundance:

Half-life, width or abundance of a given state is provided, when measured.

Half-lives are followed by their units (s: second, m: minute, h: hour, d: day, y: year).

The uncertainty follows the unit and is given in italics.

Abundances are given in bold face, from Ref. [8], followed by "%", with the uncertainty given in italics.

Abundances given as an interval reflect the variability of those isotopes in normal materials.

For very short-lived nuclei, level widths are given instead of half-lives.

The width is followed by the unit (eV, keV, or MeV) followed by the uncertainty in italics.

Uncertainties are in the last significant figure, that is 2.5 h 10 means 2.5 ± 1.0 hours.

Column 6, Decay Mode:

Decay modes are given in order of decreasing strength from left to right, followed by their percentage, if known.

If there is no competing decay mode or no other mode has been observed, the percentage branching (i.e. %β=100) is not indicated.

A "?" indicates an expected decay mode which has yet to be observed.

The types of decay modes are detailed below.

β- Beta-minus (β-) decay
ε Electron capture (ε), positron decay (β+) or the sum ε+β+
IT Internal transition from an isomeric level, via gamma and/or conversion-electron decay
n, p, α neutron, proton, alpha decay
SF spontaneous fission decay
2β− double beta-minus decay
β-n, β-p, β−α delayed n, p, α decay following β− decay
εp, εα, εSF delayed p, α, SF decay following ε or β+ decay

NNDC Web Services

The NNDC maintains several databases and related web applications that can be reached through www.nndc.bnl.gov.

Nuclear Wallet Cards for Radioactive Nuclei

Nuclear Wallet Cards for Radioactive Nuclei is a reference for gamma-rays produced following the decay of long-lived radionuclides.

Half-lives and decay modes in that booklet are based on the data in this evaluation.

Copies of the booklet are available in printed form from the NNDC.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Office of Nuclear Physics, Office of Science, US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886.

We are grateful to A. Sonzogni and B. Singh for fruitful discussions and to L. Krejci for assistance with data entry.

References

  1. Nuclear Wallet Cards 2011 Edition, J.K. Tuli, National Nuclear Data Center
  2. Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF) - Maintained by the National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, available at https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/ensdfarchivals/
  3. eXperimental Unevaluated Nuclear Data List (XUNDL) - Maintained by the National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, available at https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/xundlarchivals/
  4. Nuclear Science References Database, B. Pritychenko, E. Betak, B. Singh, J. Totans, Nucl. Data Sheets 120, 291 (2014).
  5. IUPAC Standards Online https://www.degruyter.com/database/iupac/html#:~:text=IUPAC_Periodic%20Table
  6. General Policies - Presentation of Data https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nds/docs/NDSPolicies.pdf
  7. The AME 2020 atomic mass evaluation (II). Tables, graphs and references, M. Wang, W.J. Huang, F.G. Kondev, G. Audi, and S. Naimi, Chin. Phys. C 45, 030003 (2021).
  8. Isotopic compositions of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report), J. Meija et al., Pure. Appl. Chem. 88, 265 (2016).