Sm152

Sm-152 is a stable isotope of the element samarium (Sm). It has an atomic number of 62 and a mass number of 152, corresponding to 90 neutrons. Its ground-state spin and parity are 0+ and it does not undergo radioactive decay.

In nature, 152Sm is one of the stable isotopes of samarium and contributes a significant fraction of natural samarium, typically around 26% of the elemental abundance. It occurs in minerals that contain samarium, such as monazite and bastnäsite, as part of the natural isotopic mix.

Production and occurrence: 152Sm is formed in stellar environments through slow neutron capture (the s-process) during the synthesis of heavy elements. In the laboratory, it can be produced by irradiating samarium targets with neutrons to convert neighboring isotopes (for example, via neutron capture on 151Sm), but in nature it remains stable and non-radioactive.

Applications and significance: As a stable isotope, 152Sm is not used in radiopharmaceuticals or radiation therapy. Its stability makes it useful in geochemical and cosmochemical studies as a reference or calibration isotope in isotopic analyses of samarium and in Sm-Nd systems used for geochronology and tracing planetary differentiation.