Cobalt58

Cobalt-58 is a radioactive isotope of cobalt. It is produced artificially through neutron bombardment of stable cobalt-57 or by the decay of nickel-58. Cobalt-58 decays primarily by positron emission to stable iron-58. The half-life of cobalt-58 is approximately 70.77 days. This decay process releases energy in the form of gamma rays and positrons, which then annihilate with electrons to produce more gamma rays.

The primary use of cobalt-58 is as a radiotracer in various scientific and industrial applications. Its relatively short half-life makes it suitable for experiments where a detectable but not excessively long-lived radioactive signal is desired. It has been employed in studies of wear rates for machine parts and in environmental research to track the movement of certain substances. Due to its radioactive nature, handling and disposal of cobalt-58 must be done with appropriate safety precautions and regulatory compliance. Its presence can also be an indicator of certain nuclear processes, though it is not a primary fission product.