Samarium144

Samarium-144 is a radioactive isotope of samarium, a rare earth metal. It is produced through the neutron irradiation of samarium-143 in a nuclear reactor. Samarium-144 has a half-life of approximately 3.07 hours, making it a short-lived isotope. It decays primarily through beta minus decay to neodymium-144, with a smaller branch decaying to promethium-144. Samarium-144 is used in various applications, including as a neutron source in neutron activation analysis and in the calibration of neutron detectors. It is also used in the production of other radioactive isotopes and in medical research. Due to its short half-life, samarium-144 is not used in medical treatments or as a radioactive tracer. The isotope is typically handled with care to minimize radiation exposure, as it emits beta particles and gamma rays during its decay. Samarium-144 is not naturally occurring and must be synthesized in a laboratory or nuclear reactor.