Isotopes of magnesium

Magnesium (12Mg) naturally occurs as three stable isotopes: , , and . There are also 19 artificial radioisotopes that have been discovered, ranging from to (with the exception of ). The longest-lived of them is with a half-life of 20.915 hours. The isotopes lighter than the stable ones mostly decay to isotopes of sodium, while those heavier decay to isotopes of aluminium.

A precise measurement of the neutron-rich 40Mg in 2019 showed an unexpected difference in its nuclear structure, compared to the lighter neighboring isotopes.

List of isotopes

|-id=Magnesium-18 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 6 | | style="text-align:center" | 2021 | | 2p | Also immediately emits two protons for the net reaction of 18Mg -> 14O + 4 1H | 0+

|-id=Magnesium-19 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 7 | | style="text-align:center" | 2007 | | 2p | | 1/2−#

|-id=Magnesium-20 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 8 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | 1974 | rowspan=2| | β+ () | | rowspan=2|0+ | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β+p () | |-id=Magnesium-21 | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=4 style="text-align:right" | 9 | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4 style="text-align:center" | 1965 | rowspan=4| | β+ () | | rowspan=4|5/2+ | rowspan=4| | rowspan=4| |- | β+p ()

| β+α ()

| β+pα () | |-id=Magnesium-22 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 10 | | style="text-align:center" | 1961 | | β+ | | 0+

|-id=Magnesium-23 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 11 | | style="text-align:center" | 1939 | | β+ | | 3/2+

|-id=Magnesium-24 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 12 | | style="text-align:center" | 1920 | colspan=3 align=center|Stable | 0+ | colspan=2 align=center|[, ] |-id=Magnesium-25 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 13 | | style="text-align:center" | 1920 | colspan=3 align=center|Stable | 5/2+ | colspan=2 align=center|[, ] |-id=Magnesium-26 | Used in radiodating events early in the Solar System's history, as product of the extinct 26Al | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 14 | | style="text-align:center" | 1920 | colspan=3 align=center|Stable | 0+ | colspan=2 align=center|[, ] |-id=Magnesium-27 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 15 | | style="text-align:center" | 1934 | | β− | | 1/2+

|-id=Magnesium-28 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 16 | | style="text-align:center" | 1953 | | β− | | 0+

|-id=Magnesium-29 | | style="text-align:right" | 12 | style="text-align:right" | 17 | | style="text-align:center" | 1971 | | β− | | 3/2+

|-id=Magnesium-30 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 18 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | 1971 | rowspan=2| | β− (> ) | | rowspan=2|0+ | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β−n (< ) | |-id=Magnesium-31 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 19 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | 1977 | rowspan=2| | β− () | | rowspan=2|1/2+ | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β−n () | |-id=Magnesium-32 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 20 | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | 1977 | rowspan=2| | β− () | | rowspan=2|0+ | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β−n () | |-id=Magnesium-33 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 21 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 1979 | rowspan=3| | β− () | | rowspan=3|3/2− | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β−n ()

| β−2n ? | |-id=Magnesium-34 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 22 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 1979 | rowspan=3| | β− (> ) | | rowspan=3|0+ | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β−n ()

| β−2n (< ) | |-id=Magnesium-35 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 23 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 1989 | rowspan=3| | β−n () | | rowspan=3|(3/2−, 5/2−) | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β− ()

| β−2n ? | |-id=Magnesium-36 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 24 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 1989 | rowspan=3| | β− () | | rowspan=3|0+ | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β−n ()

| β−2n ? | |-id=Magnesium-36m | | colspan=3 style="text-indent:2em"| 833 keV | style="text-align:center" | 2024 | | IT | | (0+) | |-id=Magnesium-37 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 25 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 1996 | rowspan=3| | β− ? | | rowspan=3|(3/2−) | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β−n ?

| β−2n ? | |-id=Magnesium-38 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 26 | rowspan=3|# | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 2002 | rowspan=3|3.1(4 (stat), 2 (sys)) ms | β−n (81%) | | rowspan=3|0+ | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β− (9%)

| β−2n (9%) | |-id=Magnesium-40 | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 12 | rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 28 | rowspan=3|# | rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | 2007 | rowspan=3|1# ms [> ] | β− ? | | rowspan=3|0+ | rowspan=3| | rowspan=3| |- | β−n ?

| β−2n ?

See also Daughter products other than magnesium Isotopes of aluminum Isotopes of sodium Isotopes of neon Isotopes of fluorine Isotopes of oxygen

References