Basic Info

n-XS summary


element
Information about Californium-252:

WikipediaNeutron Cross SectionsX-Ray TransitionsX-Ray Attenuation

Californium-252 is used to inspect airline luggage for hidden explosives... to gauge the moisture content of soil in the road construction and building industries... and to measure the moisture of materials stored in silos.
    Mass-Energy Data:

    Atomic Mass:252.081620±0.000005amu
    Excess Mass (Δ):76.028139±0.005095MeV
    Binding Energy:1881.274575±0.005106MeV
    β- Decay Energy:-1.260000±0.050000MeV
"The 1995 update to the atomic mass evaluation" by G.Audi and A.H.Wapstra, Nuclear Physics A595 vol. 4 p.409-480, December 25, 1995.
Radioactive Decay Data:

  • Spin: 0+
  • Half life: 2.645 years ( 8.34233×10+07 sec., λ = 8.3088×10-09 s-1)
  • Mode of decay:
    α
    to
    248
    96
    Cm
      (Q = 6.217 MeV)   Branch ratio: 96.91 %
  • Mode of decay: SF   Branch ratio: 3.09 %

  • Possible parent nuclides:
    E.C. from
    252
    99
    Es
    α from
    256
    100
    Fm
R.R.Kinsey, et al.,The NUDAT/PCNUDAT Program for Nuclear Data,paper submitted to the 9 th International Symposium of Capture-Gamma_raySpectroscopy and Related Topics, Budapest, Hungary, Octover 1996.Data extracted from NUDAT database (Jan. 14/1999)