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136Ba

136Ba, or barium-136, is a stable isotope of the element barium (atomic number 56). It has 56 protons and 80 neutrons, giving a mass number of 136. It is one of the six naturally occurring stable isotopes of barium and makes up a portion of natural barium on Earth.

In nature, 136Ba occurs with a natural abundance of about 7.8 percent. It is found in minerals

Nuclear properties: As a stable isotope, 136Ba does not undergo radioactive decay under ordinary conditions. Its

Origins and significance: 136Ba is produced in stellar environments by neutron capture processes, notably the s-process,

Applications: In geochemistry and cosmochemistry, ratios involving 136Ba are measured by mass spectrometry to study provenance

such
as
barite
(BaSO4)
and
in
various
geological
matrices
that
contain
barium.
The
presence
of
136Ba,
together
with
other
stable
Ba
isotopes,
is
routinely
considered
in
isotopic
analyses
of
rocks
and
minerals.
stability
makes
it
useful
as
a
reference
point
in
isotope
ratio
measurements
and
as
a
component
in
isotope-dilution
mass
spectrometry
and
related
analytical
techniques.
and
serves
as
a
tracer
in
astrophysical
studies
to
understand
nucleosynthesis
and
neutron
capture
cross
sections.
Its
relative
abundance
among
Ba
isotopes
helps
constrain
models
of
stellar
evolution.
and
history
of
geological
samples.
It
also
serves
as
a
stable
reference
in
calibration
and
standardization
of
isotopic
analyses
involving
barium.
Related
stable
isotopes
include
134Ba,
135Ba,
137Ba,
and
138Ba.