fzero said:According to http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/reCenter.jsp?z=48&n=58, the half-life of 106Cd is [itex]10^{20}[/itex] years. The universe itself is only [itex]10^{10}[/itex] years old, so an isotope like this would not have had time to significantly decay.
Cd-106 is, for all intents and purposes, stable. The quoted half-life of >1020y is only a lower limit. Decay to the next element Ag-106 is not energetically allowed, and a hypothetical decay to Pd-106 would require a double beta decay.Cadmium-106 could decay to Palladium-106 but it is still NATURALLY occurring?
fzero said:According to http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/reCenter.jsp?z=48&n=58, the half-life of 106Cd is [itex]10^{20}[/itex] years.
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. This results in different atomic masses for these atoms.
Isotopes occur naturally due to the process of radioactive decay, where unstable atoms emit particles in order to become more stable. This can result in the creation of unexpected isotopes.
Isotopes are identified through the use of mass spectrometry, a technique that separates and analyzes atoms based on their mass-to-charge ratio. This allows scientists to distinguish between different isotopes of the same element.
The stability of isotopes is influenced by the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus, as well as the nuclear binding energy. Isotopes with a balanced number of protons and neutrons and a high nuclear binding energy are more stable.
Unexpected isotopes can provide valuable insights into natural processes and the history of the Earth. They can also be used as tracers to track the movement of elements and molecules in various systems, such as in environmental studies or medical research.