Isotopes of radium

Radium (₈₈Ra) has no stable or nearly stable isotopes, and thus a standard atomic weight cannot be given. The longest lived, and most common, isotope of radium is ²²⁶Ra with a half-life of 1,600 years. ²²⁶Ra occurs in the decay chain of ²³⁸U (often referred to as the radium series.) Radium has 33 known isotopes from ²⁰²Ra to ²³⁴Ra.

Actinides vs fission products

Actinides and fission products by half-life v t e
Actinides^[2] by decay chain				Half-life range (a)	Fission products of ²³⁵U by yield^[3]
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
²⁴⁸Bk^[4]				> 9 a
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
	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^[5]	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^₡
				1.33 Ma	¹³⁵Cs^₡
	²³⁷Np^ƒ			1.61–6.5 Ma	⁹³Zr	¹⁰⁷Pd
²³⁶U			²⁴⁷Cm^ƒ	15–24 Ma		¹²⁹I^₡
²⁴⁴Pu				80 Ma	... nor beyond 15.7 Ma^[6]
²³²Th^№		²³⁸U^№	²³⁵U^ƒ№	0.7–14.1 Ga	... nor beyond 15.7 Ma^[6]
₡, 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)

List of isotopes

nuclide symbol	historic name	Z(p)	N(n)	isotopic mass (u)	half-life	decay mode(s)^[7]^{[n 1]}	daughter isotope(s)^{[n 2]}	nuclear spin	representative isotopic composition (mole fraction)	range of natural variation (mole fraction)
nuclide symbol	historic name	excitation energy			half-life	decay mode(s)^[7]^{[n 1]}	daughter isotope(s)^{[n 2]}	nuclear spin	representative isotopic composition (mole fraction)	range of natural variation (mole fraction)
²⁰²Ra		88	114	202.00989(7)	2.6(21) ms [0.7(+33−3) ms]			0+
²⁰³Ra		88	115	203.00927(9)	4(3) ms	α	¹⁹⁹Rn	(3/2−)
²⁰³Ra		88	115	203.00927(9)	4(3) ms	β⁺ (rare)	²⁰³Fr	(3/2−)
^203mRa		220(90) keV			41(17) ms	α	¹⁹⁹Rn	(13/2+)
^203mRa		220(90) keV			41(17) ms	β⁺ (rare)	²⁰³Fr	(13/2+)
²⁰⁴Ra		88	116	204.006500(17)	60(11) ms [59(+12−9) ms]	α (99.7%)	²⁰⁰Rn	0+
²⁰⁴Ra		88	116	204.006500(17)	60(11) ms [59(+12−9) ms]	β⁺ (.3%)	²⁰⁴Fr	0+
²⁰⁵Ra		88	117	205.00627(9)	220(40) ms [210(+60−40) ms]	α	²⁰¹Rn	(3/2−)
²⁰⁵Ra		88	117	205.00627(9)	220(40) ms [210(+60−40) ms]	β⁺ (rare)	²⁰⁵Fr	(3/2−)
^205mRa		310(110)# keV			180(50) ms [170(+60−40) ms]	α	²⁰¹Rn	(13/2+)
^205mRa		310(110)# keV			180(50) ms [170(+60−40) ms]	IT (rare)	²⁰⁵Ra	(13/2+)
²⁰⁶Ra		88	118	206.003827(19)	0.24(2) s	α	²⁰²Rn	0+
²⁰⁷Ra		88	119	207.00380(6)	1.3(2) s	α (90%)	²⁰³Rn	(5/2−,3/2−)
²⁰⁷Ra		88	119	207.00380(6)	1.3(2) s	β⁺ (10%)	²⁰⁷Fr	(5/2−,3/2−)
^207mRa		560(50) keV			57(8) ms	IT (85%)	²⁰⁷Ra	(13/2+)
						α (15%)	²⁰³Rn
						β⁺ (.55%)	²⁰⁷Fr
²⁰⁸Ra		88	120	208.001840(17)	1.3(2) s	α (95%)	²⁰⁴Rn	0+
²⁰⁸Ra		88	120	208.001840(17)	1.3(2) s	β⁺ (5%)	²⁰⁸Fr	0+
^208mRa		1800(200) keV			270 ns			(8+)
²⁰⁹Ra		88	121	209.00199(5)	4.6(2) s	α (90%)	²⁰⁵Rn	5/2−
²⁰⁹Ra		88	121	209.00199(5)	4.6(2) s	β⁺ (10%)	²⁰⁹Fr	5/2−
²¹⁰Ra		88	122	210.000495(16)	3.7(2) s	α (96%)	²⁰⁶Rn	0+
²¹⁰Ra		88	122	210.000495(16)	3.7(2) s	β⁺ (4%)	²¹⁰Fr	0+
^210mRa		1800(200) keV			2.24 µs			(8+)
²¹¹Ra		88	123	211.000898(28)	13(2) s	α (97%)	²⁰⁷Rn	5/2(−)
²¹¹Ra		88	123	211.000898(28)	13(2) s	β⁺ (3%)	²¹¹Fr	5/2(−)
²¹²Ra		88	124	211.999794(12)	13.0(2) s	α (85%)	²⁰⁸Rn	0+
²¹²Ra		88	124	211.999794(12)	13.0(2) s	β⁺ (15%)	²¹²Fr	0+
^212m1Ra		1958.4(5) keV			10.9(4) µs			(8)+
^212m2Ra		2613.4(5) keV			0.85(13) µs			(11)−
²¹³Ra		88	125	213.000384(22)	2.74(6) min	α (80%)	²⁰⁹Rn	1/2−
²¹³Ra		88	125	213.000384(22)	2.74(6) min	β⁺ (20%)	²¹³Fr	1/2−
^213mRa		1769(6) keV			2.1(1) ms	IT (99%)	²¹³Ra	17/2−#
^213mRa		1769(6) keV			2.1(1) ms	α (1%)	²⁰⁹Rn	17/2−#
²¹⁴Ra		88	126	214.000108(10)	2.46(3) s	α (99.94%)	²¹⁰Rn	0+
²¹⁴Ra		88	126	214.000108(10)	2.46(3) s	β⁺ (.06%)	²¹⁴Fr	0+
²¹⁵Ra		88	127	215.002720(8)	1.55(7) ms	α	²¹¹Rn	(9/2+)#
^215m1Ra		1877.8(5) keV			7.1(2) µs			(25/2+)
^215m2Ra		2246.9(5) keV			1.39(7) µs			(29/2−)
^215m3Ra		3756.6(6)+X keV			0.555(10) µs			(43/2−)
²¹⁶Ra		88	128	216.003533(9)	182(10) ns	α	²¹²Rn	0+
²¹⁶Ra		88	128	216.003533(9)	182(10) ns	EC (1×10⁻⁸%)	²¹⁶Fr	0+
²¹⁷Ra		88	129	217.006320(9)	1.63(17) µs	α	²¹³Rn	(9/2+)
²¹⁸Ra		88	130	218.007140(12)	25.2(3) µs	α	²¹⁴Rn	0+
²¹⁸Ra		88	130	218.007140(12)	25.2(3) µs	β⁺β⁺ (rare)	²¹⁸Rn	0+
²¹⁹Ra		88	131	219.010085(9)	10(3) ms	α	²¹⁵Rn	(7/2)+
²²⁰Ra		88	132	220.011028(10)	17.9(14) ms	α	²¹⁶Rn	0+
²²¹Ra		88	133	221.013917(5)	28(2) s	α	²¹⁷Rn	5/2+
²²¹Ra		88	133	221.013917(5)	28(2) s	CD (1.2×10⁻¹⁰%)	²⁰⁷Pb ¹⁴C	5/2+
²²²Ra		88	134	222.015375(5)	38.0(5) s	α	²¹⁸Rn	0+	Trace^{[n 3]}
²²²Ra		88	134	222.015375(5)	38.0(5) s	CD (3×10⁻⁸%)	²⁰⁸Pb ¹⁴C	0+	Trace^{[n 3]}
²²³Ra^{[n 4]}	Actinium X	88	135	223.0185022(27)	11.43(5) d	α	²¹⁹Rn	3/2+	Trace^{[n 5]}
²²³Ra^{[n 4]}	Actinium X	88	135	223.0185022(27)	11.43(5) d	CD (6.4×10⁻⁸%)	²⁰⁹Pb ¹⁴C	3/2+	Trace^{[n 5]}
²²⁴Ra	Thorium X	88	136	224.0202118(24)	3.6319(23) d	α	²²⁰Rn	0+	Trace^{[n 6]}
²²⁴Ra	Thorium X	88	136	224.0202118(24)	3.6319(23) d	CD (4.3×10⁻⁹%)	²¹⁰Pb ¹⁴C	0+	Trace^{[n 6]}
²²⁵Ra		88	137	225.023612(3)	14.9(2) d	β⁻	²²⁵Ac	1/2+
²²⁶Ra	Radium^{[n 7]}	88	138	226.0254098(25)	1600(7) y	α	²²²Rn	0+	Trace^{[n 8]}
						β⁻β⁻ (rare)	²²⁶Th
						CD (2.6×10⁻⁹%)	²¹²Pb ¹⁴C
²²⁷Ra		88	139	227.0291778(25)	42.2(5) min	β⁻	²²⁷Ac	3/2+
²²⁸Ra	Mesothorium 1	88	140	228.0310703(26)	5.75(3) y	β⁻	²²⁸Ac	0+	Trace^{[n 6]}
²²⁹Ra		88	141	229.034958(20)	4.0(2) min	β⁻	²²⁹Ac	5/2(+)
²³⁰Ra		88	142	230.037056(13)	93(2) min	β⁻	²³⁰Ac	0+
²³¹Ra		88	143	231.04122(32)#	103(3) s	β⁻	²³¹Ac	(5/2+)
^231mRa		66.21(9) keV			~53 µs			(1/2+)
²³²Ra		88	144	232.04364(30)#	250(50) s	β⁻	²³²Ac	0+
²³³Ra		88	145	233.04806(50)#	30(5) s	β⁻	²³³Ac	1/2+#
²³⁴Ra		88	146	234.05070(53)#	30(10) s	β⁻	²³⁴Ac	0+

^ Abbreviations:
CD: Cluster decay
EC: Electron capture
IT: Isomeric transition
^ Bold for stable isotopes
^ Intermediate decay product of ²³⁸U
^ Used for treating bone cancer
^ Intermediate decay product of ²³⁵U
^ ^a ^b Intermediate decay product of ²³²Th
^ Source of element's name
^ Intermediate decay product of ²³⁸U

Notes

Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends. Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses.
Uncertainties are given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. Uncertainty values denote one standard deviation, except isotopic composition and standard atomic mass from IUPAC, which use expanded uncertainties.

References

^ 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.
^ 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 eight quadrillion years.
^ "Universal Nuclide Chart". nucleonica. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)

Isotope masses from:
- G. Audi; A. H. Wapstra; C. Thibault; J. Blachot; O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties" (PDF). Nuclear Physics A. 729: 3–128. Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A. doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-23. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from:
- J. R. de Laeter; J. K. Böhlke; P. De Bièvre; H. Hidaka; H. S. Peiser; K. J. R. Rosman; P. D. P. Taylo (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 75 (6): 683–800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683.
- M. E. Wieser (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 78 (11): 2051–2066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |laysummary= ignored (help)
Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. See editing notes on this article's talk page.
- G. Audi; A. H. Wapstra; C. Thibault; J. Blachot; O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties" (PDF). Nuclear Physics A. 729: 3–128. Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A. doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-23. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
- National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.1 database". Brookhaven National Laboratory. Retrieved September 2005. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
- N. E. Holden (2004). "Table of the Isotopes". In D. R. Lide (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). CRC Press. Section 11. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |nopp= ignored (|no-pp= suggested) (help)

[8] Abbreviations:
CD: Cluster decay
EC: Electron capture
IT: Isomeric transition

[9] Bold for stable isotopes

[10] Intermediate decay product of ²³⁸U

[11] Used for treating bone cancer

[12] Intermediate decay product of ²³⁵U

[ths-13] Intermediate decay product of ²³²Th

[14] Source of element's name

[15] Intermediate decay product of ²³⁸U

[NUBASE2020-1] 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.

[2] 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.

[3] Specifically from thermal neutron fission of uranium-235, e.g. in a typical nuclear reactor.

[4] 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]."

[5] This is the heaviest nuclide with a half-life of at least four years before the "sea of instability".

[6] 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 eight quadrillion years.

[7] "Universal Nuclide Chart". nucleonica. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |registration= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)

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