Fe32

Fe-32 is a hypothetical isotope of iron, identified by its atomic number Z = 26 and mass number A = 32. It would consist of 26 protons and 6 neutrons, making it extremely proton-rich and far from the line of beta stability. There is no experimental evidence that Fe-32 exists as a bound nucleus; mass models place it beyond the proton drip line, meaning a bound state is unlikely and any Fe-32 nucleus would be highly unstable.

If produced, Fe-32 would be expected to decay very rapidly, typically through proton emission or, less commonly, beta plus decay, toward more stable configurations. The dominant decay mechanism would likely involve the emission of one or more protons, yielding lighter nuclei such as manganese or chromium isotopes, depending on the exact decay path. Because of its extreme proton-richness, the nucleus would disintegrate on timescales far too short to be detected with conventional techniques.

In nuclear physics, Fe-32 serves as a theoretical example near the proton drip line and is discussed in the context of nuclear binding limits and the stability of light, proton-rich nuclides. It is not part of naturally occurring iron and has no known practical applications.