samarium147

Samarium-147 is a naturally occurring isotope of samarium. It is a radioactive isotope with a very long half-life, approximately 1.06 x 10^11 years. This means it decays very slowly. The primary decay mode for samarium-147 is alpha decay, transforming into neodymium-143. Due to its long half-life, samarium-147 is considered a cosmogenic nuclide, meaning it is produced in the Earth's atmosphere by cosmic rays. However, its abundance is very low, making it less significant for radiometric dating compared to other samarium isotopes. Samarium-147 is not typically used in industrial applications or medical treatments due to its low specific activity and the availability of more suitable isotopes. Its presence in geological samples can sometimes be used in specialized geochronological studies, though it is less common than other samarium-neodymium dating methods that utilize more abundant and shorter-lived isotopes.