58Ni

58Ni is a stable isotope of nickel with 28 protons and 30 neutrons, giving it a mass number of 58. The nucleus is even-even, and its ground-state spin and parity are 0+. The atomic mass is about 57.935 u.

In nature, 58Ni is the most abundant nickel isotope, comprising roughly 68.1% of natural nickel. The other stable isotopes are 60Ni (about 26%), 61Ni (~1.1%), 62Ni (~3.6%), and 64Ni (~0.9%). This makes nickel naturally dominated by the 58Ni component.

Because it is stable, 58Ni does not undergo radioactive decay and serves as a common calibration and reference standard in isotope ratio measurements and mass spectrometry. It occurs widely in nickel-bearing minerals and alloys, contributing to the bulk isotopic signature of natural nickel.

58Ni is produced in stellar nucleosynthesis, including neutron capture processes in stars, and is preserved in the solar system. Isotopic compositions involving 58Ni, along with the other nickel isotopes, are used in cosmochemistry and geochemistry to study planetary formation and chemical evolution. In astrophysical models, nickel isotopes, including 58Ni, help constrain processes such as supernova nucleosynthesis and the synthesis of iron-peak elements.