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Isotopes of magnesium

Magnesium (12Mg) naturally occurs in three stable isotopes: 24Mg, 25Mg, and 26Mg. There are 19 radioisotopes that have been discovered, ranging from 18Mg to 40Mg (with the exception of 39Mg). The longest-lived radioisotope is 28Mg with a half-life of 20.915(9) h. The lighter isotopes mostly decay to isotopes of sodium while the heavier isotopes decay to isotopes of aluminium. The shortest-lived is proton-unbound 18Mg with a half-life of 4.0(3.4) zeptoseconds.

A precise measurement of the neutron-rich 40Mg in 2019 showed the unexpected difference in its nuclear structure, compared to the lighter neighboring isotopes.

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List of isotopes

NuclideZNIsotopic mass (Da)34Half-life56Decaymode78Daughterisotope9Spin andparity101112Natural abundance (mole fraction)
Normal proportion13Range of variation
18Mg141264.0(3.4) zs2p16Ne0+
19Mg12719.034180(60)5(3) ps2p17Ne1/2−#
20Mg 12820.0187631(20)90.4(5) msβ+ (69.7(1.2)%)20Na0+
β+p (30.3(1.2)%)19Ne
21Mg 12921.0117058(8)120.0(4) msβ+ (79.8(2.1)%)21Na5/2+
β+p (20.1(2.1)%)20Ne
β+α (0.116(18)%)17F
β+pα (0.016(3)%)16O
22Mg 121021.99957060(17)3.8745(7) sβ+22Na0+
23Mg 121122.99412377(3)11.3039(32) sβ+23Na3/2+
24Mg 121223.985041689(14)Stable0+[0.7888, 0.7905]
25Mg 121324.98583697(5)Stable5/2+[0.09988, 0.10034]
26Mg15 121425.98259297(3)Stable0+[0.1096, 0.1109]
27Mg 121526.98434065(5)9.435(27) minβ−27Al1/2+
28Mg 121627.98387543(28)20.915(9) hβ−28Al0+
29Mg 121728.9886072(4)1.30(12) sβ−29Al3/2+
30Mg 121829.9904655(14)317(4) msβ− (> 99.94%)30Al0+
β−n (< 0.06%)29Al
31Mg 121930.996648(3)270(2) msβ− (93.8(1.9)%)31Al1/2+
β−n (6.2(1.9)%)30Al
32Mg 122031.999110(4)80.4(4) msβ− (94.5(5)%)32Al0+
β−n (5.5(5)%)31Al
33Mg 122133.0053279(29)92.0(1.2) msβ− (86(2)%)33Al3/2−
β−n (14(2)%)32Al
β−2n ?1631Al ?
34Mg 122234.008935(7)44.9(4) msβ− (> 78.9(7.0)%)34Al0+
β−n (21(7)%)33Al
β−2n (< 0.1%)32Al
35Mg 122335.01679(29)11.3(6) msβ−n (52(46)%)34Al(3/2−, 5/2−)
β− (48(46)%)35Al
β−2n ?1733Al ?
36Mg 122436.02188(74)3.9(1.3) msβ− (52(12)%)36Al0+
β−n (48(12)%)35Al
β−2n ?1834Al ?
37Mg 122537.03029(75)8(4) msβ− ?1937Al ?(3/2−)
β−n ?2036Al ?
β−2n ?2135Al ?
38Mg 122638.03658(54)#3.1(4 (stat), 2 (sys)) ms22β−n (81%)37Al0+
β− (9%)38Al
β−2n (9%)36Al
40Mg 122840.05319(54)#1# ms [> 170 ns]β− ?2340Al ?0+
β−n ?2439Al ?
β−2n ?2538Al ?
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References

  1. glennroberts (2019-02-07). "New Measurements of Exotic Magnesium Suggest Surprising Shape-Shift". Berkeley Lab News Center. Retrieved 2023-09-10. https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2019/02/07/new-measurements-exotic-magnesium-suggest-surprising-shape-shift/ ↩

  2. "NP A Change in Structure for a S... | U.S. DOE Office of Science(SC)". science.osti.gov. 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2023-09-10. https://science.osti.gov/np/Highlights/2019/NP-2019-08-a ↩

  3. Wang, Meng; Huang, W.J.; Kondev, F.G.; Audi, G.; Naimi, S. (2021). "The AME 2020 atomic mass evaluation (II). Tables, graphs and references*". Chinese Physics C. 45 (3): 030003. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/abddaf. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  4. ( ) – Uncertainty (1σ) is given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. ↩

  5. 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. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩

  6. # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN). ↩

  7. 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. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩

  8. Modes of decay: n:Neutron emissionp:Proton emission /wiki/Neutron_emission ↩

  9. Bold symbol as daughter – Daughter product is stable. ↩

  10. 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. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩

  11. ( ) spin value – Indicates spin with weak assignment arguments. ↩

  12. # – Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from trends of neighboring nuclides (TNN). ↩

  13. 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. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2020/NUBASE2020.pdf ↩

  14. Jin, Y.; et al. (2021). "First observation of the four-proton unbound nucleus 18Mg". Physical Review Letters. 127 (262502): 262502. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.262502. OSTI 1837749. PMID 35029460. S2CID 245434485. /wiki/Physical_Review_Letters ↩

  15. Used in radiodating events early in the Solar System's history /wiki/Radiodating#The_26Al_-_26Mg_chronometer ↩

  16. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  17. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  18. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  19. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  20. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  21. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  22. Crawford, H. L.; Tripathi, V.; Allmond, J. M.; et al. (2022). "Crossing N = 28 toward the neutron drip line: first measurement of half-lives at FRIB". Physical Review Letters. 129 (212501): 212501. Bibcode:2022PhRvL.129u2501C. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.212501. PMID 36461950. S2CID 253600995. https://doi.org/10.1103%2FPhysRevLett.129.212501 ↩

  23. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  24. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩

  25. Decay mode shown is energetically allowed, but has not been experimentally observed to occur in this nuclide. ↩