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Caesium-137

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Caesium-137

Caesium-137 (13755Cs), cesium-137 (US), or radiocaesium, is a radioactive isotope of caesium that is formed as one of the more common fission products by the nuclear fission of uranium-235 and other fissionable isotopes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Trace quantities also originate from spontaneous fission of uranium-238. It is among the most problematic of the short-to-medium-lifetime fission products. Caesium has a relatively low boiling point of 671 °C (1,240 °F) and easily becomes volatile when released suddenly at high temperature, as in the case of the Chernobyl nuclear accident and with nuclear explosions, and can travel very long distances in the air. After being deposited onto the soil as radioactive fallout, it moves and spreads easily in the environment because of the high water solubility of caesium's most common chemical compounds, which are salts. Caesium-137 was discovered by Glenn T. Seaborg and Margaret Melhase.

Infobox

Symbol
137Cs
Names
caesium-137
(Z)
55
Neutrons (N)
82
Natural abundance
0 (trace)
Half-life (t1/2)
30.04 years
Isotope mass
136.907 Da
Spin
mw- 7⁄2
Parent isotopes
137Xe (β−)
Decay products
137mBa137Ba
Decay mode
Decay energy (MeV)
β- (beta decay)
0.5120
γ (gamma-rays)
0.6617

Tables

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155Eu
155Eu
Nuclide
155Eu
t1⁄2
4.74
Yield
0.0803
Q
252
βγ
βγ
85Kr
85Kr
Nuclide
85Kr
t1⁄2
10.73
Yield
0.2180
Q
687
βγ
βγ
113mCd
113mCd
Nuclide
113mCd
t1⁄2
13.9
Yield
0.0008
Q
316
βγ
β
90Sr
90Sr
Nuclide
90Sr
t1⁄2
28.91
Yield
4.505
Q
2826
βγ
β
137Cs
137Cs
Nuclide
137Cs
t1⁄2
30.04
Yield
6.337
Q
1176
βγ
βγ
121mSn
121mSn
Nuclide
121mSn
t1⁄2
43.9
Yield
0.00005
Q
390
βγ
βγ
151Sm
151Sm
Nuclide
151Sm
t1⁄2
94.6
Yield
0.5314
Q
77
βγ
β
mw- }.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- Decay energy is split among β, neutrino, and γ if any. Per 65 thermal neutron fissions of 235U and 35 of 239Pu. Neutron poison; in thermal reactors, most is destroyed by further neutron capture. Less than 1/4 of mass-85 fission products as most bypass ground state: 85Br → 85mKr → 85Rb. Has decay energy 546 keV; its decay product 90Y has decay energy 2.28 MeV with weak gamma branching.
mw- }.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- Decay energy is split among β, neutrino, and γ if any. Per 65 thermal neutron fissions of 235U and 35 of 239Pu. Neutron poison; in thermal reactors, most is destroyed by further neutron capture. Less than 1/4 of mass-85 fission products as most bypass ground state: 85Br → 85mKr → 85Rb. Has decay energy 546 keV; its decay product 90Y has decay energy 2.28 MeV with weak gamma branching.
Nuclide
mw- }.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- Decay energy is split among β, neutrino, and γ if any. Per 65 thermal neutron fissions of 235U and 35 of 239Pu. Neutron poison; in thermal reactors, most is destroyed by further neutron capture. Less than 1/4 of mass-85 fission products as most bypass ground state: 85Br → 85mKr → 85Rb. Has decay energy 546 keV; its decay product 90Y has decay energy 2.28 MeV with weak gamma branching.
Nuclide
t1⁄2
Yield
Q
βγ
(a)
(%)
(keV)
155Eu
4.74
0.0803
252
βγ
85Kr
10.73
0.2180
687
βγ
113mCd
13.9
0.0008
316
β
90Sr
28.91
4.505
2826
β
137Cs
30.04
6.337
1176
βγ
121mSn
43.9
0.00005
390
βγ
151Sm
94.6
0.5314
77
β
mw- Decay energy is split among β, neutrino, and γ if any. Per 65 thermal neutron fissions of 235U and 35 of 239Pu. Neutron poison; in thermal reactors, most is destroyed by further neutron capture. Less than 1/4 of mass-85 fission products as most bypass ground state: 85Br → 85mKr → 85Rb. Has decay energy 546 keV; its decay product 90Y has decay energy 2.28 MeV with weak gamma branching.

References

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  2. Per 65 thermal neutron fissions of 235U and 35 of 239Pu.
  3. Neutron poison; in thermal reactors, most is destroyed by further neutron capture.
  4. Less than 1/4 of mass-85 fission products as most bypass ground state: 85Br → 85mKr → 85Rb.
  5. Has decay energy 546 keV; its decay product 90Y has decay energy 2.28 MeV with weak gamma branching.
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