142Ce

Cerium-142 (142Ce) is a stable isotope of the element cerium (Ce), which has an atomic number of 58. Its mass number is 142, meaning the nucleus contains 58 protons and 84 neutrons. It is one of the naturally occurring stable cerium isotopes.

In nature, cerium exists as a mixture of several stable isotopes, including 136Ce, 138Ce, 140Ce, and 142Ce. The exact natural abundance of 142Ce is small relative to the most abundant cerium isotopes, but it is present as part of the cerium isotopic composition found in minerals and rocks.

As a stable, non-radioactive nuclide, 142Ce does not undergo radioactive decay. Its nuclear properties place it in the family of even-even cerium isotopes, which are typically associated with a zero total nuclear spin in their ground state, though detailed nuclear structure data are maintained in specialized references.

Production and occurrence are tied to natural cerium and to processes that create and distribute isotopes of lanthanides in nature. While not used as a radiometric tracer due to its stability, cerium isotopes, including 142Ce, are studied in isotopic analysis and geochemical investigations to understand planetary differentiation, crustal processes, and the behavior of rare-earth elements in geological systems.