Mo98

Mo-98 is a stable isotope of the element molybdenum with mass number 98. It consists of 42 protons and 56 neutrons. The ground-state spin and parity of 98Mo are 0+, as is typical for even-even nuclei.

In nature, molybdenum has several stable isotopes, including 98Mo, which accounts for about a quarter of natural molybdenum. Like other stable isotopes, 98Mo does not undergo radioactive decay under normal conditions and has no measured half-life.

Nuclear and chemical context: 98Mo is an even-even nucleus, a structural feature that correlates with high stability and a 0+ ground state. Its stability makes it a common component of natural molybdenum and a useful target in various nuclear science applications.

Occurrences and uses: 98Mo can capture a neutron to form 99Mo via the (n,γ) reaction. The produced 99Mo decays to 99mTc, a widely used radioisotope in medical imaging. Because 98Mo is relatively abundant in natural molybdenum, it also features in reactor-based routes for producing 99Mo/99mTc through neutron irradiation of molybdenum targets.

Astrophysical and scientific note: The isotopic composition of molybdenum in the solar system reflects contributions from multiple nucleosynthesis processes, including slow neutron capture in stars. 98Mo is part of this distribution and is studied alongside other Mo isotopes to understand stellar nucleosynthesis and Galactic chemical evolution.