Xe132

Xenon-132, written as 132Xe, is a stable isotope of the noble gas xenon. It contains 54 protons and 78 neutrons, giving a mass number of 132. The ground-state spin and parity of 132Xe are 0+, reflecting its even-even nuclear configuration.

Natural occurrence and production: 132Xe is one of the stable isotopes that occur in natural xenon. Because it is stable, it does not undergo radioactive decay and persists since the formation of the solar system. Natural xenon contains a mixture of stable isotopes, including 132Xe, which are produced by stellar nucleosynthesis and distributed through planetary materials over geologic time.

Nuclear and chemical properties: As a stable nuclide, 132Xe has no radioactive decay chain. Like other xenon isotopes, it shares the element’s chemical properties as a noble gas, remaining inert and formulating compounds only under extreme conditions. Its stability and inertness make it useful for certain analytical applications.

Applications and significance: In scientific research, 132Xe is used in isotope ratio analyses to study xenon reservoirs in Earth and planetary materials. It serves as a stable reference isotope in mass spectrometry and contributes to the overall understanding of xenon isotopic composition in geology, cosmochemistry, and atmospheric studies.