Selenium82

Selenium-82 is a stable isotope of selenium. Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal and is sometimes found in its pure, elemental form. Selenium is nutritionally essential for humans.

Selenium-82 (82Se) has a natural abundance of 8.73%. It is a radioactive isotope, although it has a very long half-life, making it effectively stable for most practical purposes. The decay of selenium-82 is primarily via beta decay, with a half-life exceeding 9.7 x 1019 years. This extremely long half-life means that its radioactivity is negligible under normal conditions.

Selenium isotopes, including selenium-82, are of interest in various scientific fields. For instance, they can be used as tracers in biological and environmental studies due to their distinct mass. In nuclear physics, the study of long-lived isotopes like selenium-82 can provide insights into nuclear structure and decay processes. Researchers also investigate selenium-82 in the context of neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. These experiments aim to determine if this rare type of radioactive decay can occur, which would have significant implications for particle physics and the understanding of fundamental forces. Selenium-82 is a common candidate isotope for such investigations due to its suitability for detection and its theoretical decay properties.