polonium217

Polonium-217 is a radioactive isotope of polonium. It is a short-lived nuclide with a half-life of approximately 0.0002 milliseconds. Polonium-217 decays primarily via alpha emission to lead-213. It is a member of the neptunium decay chain, originating from the decay of uranium-237. Due to its extremely short half-life, polonium-217 is not found in significant quantities in nature and is typically produced artificially in laboratories for research purposes. Its production often involves nuclear reactions, such as neutron bombardment of suitable target materials. The alpha particles emitted by polonium-217 are highly energetic, but its brief existence limits its practical applications. Its study is primarily of interest in nuclear physics and radiochemistry to understand decay processes and nuclear structure. There are no known commercial or widespread applications for polonium-217 due to its instability and the limited availability of this specific isotope.