62Ni

62Ni is a stable isotope of nickel with mass number 62. It contains 28 protons and 34 neutrons. In natural nickel, 62Ni accounts for a small but measurable fraction of the element’s isotopic composition, typically around a few percent of natural nickel.

As an even-even nucleus, the ground state of 62Ni has zero spin (I = 0) and positive parity. It is notable for its high binding energy per nucleon, which is about 8.79 MeV, making 62Ni one of the most tightly bound stable nuclei. This high binding energy contributes to the overall stability of the isotope.

Natural 62Ni is non-radioactive and does not decay. Because of its stability and relatively significant natural abundance among nickel isotopes, 62Ni is frequently considered in isotopic studies. Its ratio to other nickel isotopes (for example, 62Ni/58Ni) is measured by mass spectrometry and is used in geochemistry, cosmochemistry, and archaeology to investigate planetary differentiation, meteorite composition, and other processes that affect nickel isotopic abundances.

62Ni is produced in stellar environments as part of the synthesis of iron-peak elements. It is formed during late stages of stellar evolution and explosive nucleosynthesis that generate nickel and neighboring isotopes, and it is inherited by solar system material.

See also: nickel isotopes, 63Ni.