Nd144

Nd-144 is a stable isotope of the chemical element neodymium (Nd), with mass number 144 and atomic number 60. It has 84 neutrons and, as an even-even nucleus, a 0+ ground state is typical. In nature, neodymium consists of several stable isotopes, including Nd-144, which contributes a substantial fraction of natural neodymium—roughly about one-quarter of the element’s natural abundance.

Because Nd-144 is stable, it does not undergo radioactive decay under ordinary conditions. Its stability makes it relevant to geochemistry and geochronology through isotope ratio studies of neodymium. In particular, Nd isotopic systems, such as the 143Nd/144Nd ratio, are used in Sm-Nd dating and in investigations of mantle differentiation and crustal evolution. Nd-144 thus serves as a reference component within natural Nd mixtures when interpreting isotopic data from rocks and minerals.

Nd-144 occurs naturally in neodymium-bearing minerals, including bastnasite and monazite, as part of the element’s natural isotopic repertoire. While Nd-144 can be produced or enriched in laboratory or accelerator environments for research, its primary significance in science is as a stable, naturally occurring isotope that participates in isotopic analyses of geological materials.