Ce142

Ce-142, or cerium-142, is a stable isotope of the element cerium (atomic number 58). It has 58 protons and 84 neutrons, giving it a mass number of 142. It is one of the four stable isotopes of cerium, the others being Ce-136, Ce-138, and Ce-140.

In natural cerium, Ce-142 is present as part of the isotopic mix but is less abundant than Ce-140, which is the most plentiful cerium isotope. Like other stable cerium isotopes, Ce-142 does not undergo radioactive decay under normal conditions and remains essentially unchanged over geological timescales.

Nuclear and chemical properties of Ce-142 are similar to those of other cerium isotopes. As a stable nuclide, it is not used as a radioactive tracer or radiometric dating reagent, but it is relevant for studies of isotopic composition. Ce-142 can be examined using mass spectrometry and other isotopic analysis techniques to determine cerium ratios in samples.

Applications and research involving Ce-142 are primarily in geochemistry, cosmochemistry, and nuclear physics. Its presence contributes to the overall isotopic signature of cerium in rocks, meteorites, and other materials, helping scientists model nucleosynthetic processes and the history of the Earth and solar system. Ce-142 is typically discussed in the context of cerium’s four stable isotopes and their collective relevance to isotopic studies.