Osmium190

Osmium-190 (190Os) is a stable isotope of the element osmium. Osmium is a dense, hard, bluish-white transition metal of the platinum group. Osmium-190 is one of the seven naturally occurring isotopes of osmium, and it is the most abundant, making up about 26.26% of natural osmium. Its atomic mass is approximately 189.96 u.

Like other stable isotopes, osmium-190 does not undergo radioactive decay. It has 76 protons and 114 neutrons in its nucleus. This specific neutron count contributes to its nuclear stability. The study of osmium isotopes, including osmium-190, is important in geochemistry and cosmochemistry for dating ancient rocks and meteorites, as well as understanding stellar nucleosynthesis.

In its pure metallic form, osmium is extremely rare and expensive, and osmium-190 as a specific isotope is even more specialized. Applications for pure osmium are limited due to its rarity and cost, but alloys with other platinum-group metals can be used in specialized electrical contacts and fountain pen tips. The isotopic composition of osmium can be analyzed using mass spectrometry to determine the origin and age of geological samples.