Bismuth-209

Short description: Isotope of bismuth

Bismuth-209, 209BiGeneral

Symbol| 209Bi
Names| bismuth-209, Bi-209
Protons| 83
Neutrons| 126
Nuclide data
Natural abundance| 100%
Half-life| 2.01×1019 years[1]
Parent isotopes| 209Pb (β−)
209Po (β+)
213At (α)
Decay products| 205Tl
Isotope mass| 208.9803986 u
Spin| 9/2−
Excess energy| −18258.461±2.4 keV
Binding energy| 7847.987±1.7 keV
Decay modes
Decay mode| Decay energy (MeV)
Alpha emission| 3.1373
Isotopes of Chemistry:bismuth
Complete table of nuclides

Bismuth-209 (209Bi) is the isotope of bismuth with the longest known half-life of any radioisotope that undergoes α-decay (alpha decay). It has 83 protons and a magic number[2] of 126 neutrons,[2] and an atomic mass of 208.9803987 amu (atomic mass units). Primordial bismuth consists entirely of this isotope.

## Contents

* 1 Decay properties
* 2 Applications
* 2.1 Synthesis of other elements
* 3 Formation
* 3.1 Primordial
* 3.2 Radiogenic
* 4 See also
* 5 Notes
* 6 References

## Decay properties

Bismuth-209 was long thought to have the heaviest stable nucleus of any element, but in 2003, a research team at the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale in Orsay, France, discovered that 209Bi undergoes alpha decay with a half-life of approximately 19 exayears (1.9×1019, approximately 19 quintillion years),[3][4] over a billion times longer than the current estimated age of the universe.[5] The heaviest nucleus considered to be stable is now lead-208 and the heaviest stable monoisotopic element is gold as the 197Au isotope.

Theory had previously predicted a half-life of 4.6×1019 years. It had been suspected to be radioactive for a long time.[6] The decay event produces a 3.14 MeV alpha particle and converts the atom to thallium-205.[3][4]

Bismuth-209 occurs in the neptunium series decay chain.

Bismuth-209 will eventually form 205Tl if unperturbed:

20983Bi → 20581Tl \+ 42He[7]

If perturbed, it would join in lead-bismuth neutron capture cycle from lead-206/207/208 to bismuth-209, despite low capture cross sections. Even thallium-205, the decay product of bismuth-209, reverts to lead when fully ionized.[8]

Due to its extraordinarily long half-life, for nearly all applications 209Bi can still be treated as if it were non-radioactive. Its radioactivity is much less than that of human flesh, so it poses no meaningful hazard from radiation. Although 209Bi holds the half-life record for alpha decay, bismuth does not have the longest half-life of any radionuclide to be found experimentally--this distinction belongs to tellurium-128 (128Te) with a half-life estimated at 7.7 × 1024 years by double β-decay (double beta decay).[9][10][11]

The half-life of bismuth-209 was confirmed in 2012 by an Italian team in Gran Sasso who reported (2.01±0.08)×1019 years. They also reported an even longer half-life for alpha decay of bismuth-209 to the first excited state of thallium-205 (at 204 keV), was estimated to be 1.66×1021 years.[12] Even though this value is shorter than the measured half-life of tellurium-128, both alpha decays of bismuth-209 hold the record of the thinnest natural line widths of any measurable physical excitation, estimated respectively at ΔΕ~5.5×10−43 eV and ΔΕ~1.3×10−44 eV in application of the uncertainty principle of Heisenberg[13] (double beta decay would produce energy lines only in neutrinoless transitions, which has not been observed yet).

## Applications

Because primordial bismuth is entirely bismuth-209, bismuth-209 is used for all of the normal applications attributed to bismuth, such as being used as a replacement for lead,[14][15] in cosmetics,[16][17] in paints,[18] and in several medicines such as Pepto-Bismol.[5][19][20] Alloys containing bismuth-209 such as bismuth bronze have been used for thousands of years.[21]

### Synthesis of other elements

210Po can be manufactured by bombarding 209Bi with neutrons in a nuclear reactor.[22] Only around 100 grams of 210Po are produced each year.[23][22] 209Po and 208Po can be made through the proton bombardment of 209Bi in a cyclotron.[24] Astatine can also be produced by bombarding forms of 209Bi with alpha particles.[25][26][27] Traces of 209Bi have also been used to create gold in nuclear reactors.[28][29]

209Bi has been used as a target for the creation of several isotopes of superheavy elements such as dubnium,[30][31][32][33] bohrium,[30][34] meitnerium,[35][36][37] roentgenium,[38][39][40] and nihonium.[41][42][43]

## Formation

### Primordial

Bismuth-209 is created in the final part of the s-process.[lower-alpha 1]

In the red giant stars of the asymptotic giant branch, the s-process (slow process) is ongoing to produce bismuth-209 and polonium-210 by neutron capture as the heaviest elements to be formed,[44] and the latter quickly decays.[44] All elements heavier than it are formed in the r-process, or rapid process, which occurs during the first fifteen minutes of supernovas.[45][44] Bismuth-209 is also created during the r-process.[44]

### Radiogenic

Some bismuth-209 was created radiogenically as a result of the neptunium series decay chain.[46] Neptunium-237 is an extinct radionuclide, but it can be found in traces in uranium ores because of neutron capture reactions.[46][47] Americium-241, which is used in smoke detectors,[48] decays to neptunium-237.

## See also

* Isotopes of bismuth
* Primordial radionuclide
* List of elements by stability of isotopes

## Notes

1. ↑ Red horizontal lines with a circle in their right ends represent neutron captures; blue arrows pointing up-left represent beta decays; green arrows pointing down-left represent alpha decays; cyan/light-green arrows pointing down-right represent electron captures.

Lighter:
bismuth-208 | Bismuth-209 is an
isotope of bismuth | Heavier:
bismuth-210

|
|

Decay product of:
astatine-213 (α)
'polonium-209 (β+)
lead-209 (β−)' | Decay chain
of bismuth-209  | Decays to:
'thallium-205 (α)'

## References

1. ↑ Audi, G.; Kondev, F. G.; Wang, M.; Huang, W. J.; Naimi, S. (2017). "The NUBASE2016 evaluation of nuclear properties". Chinese Physics C 41 (3): 030001. doi:10.1088/1674-1137/41/3/030001. Bibcode: 2017ChPhC..41c0001A. https://www-nds.iaea.org/amdc/ame2016/NUBASE2016.pdf.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Blank, B.; Regan, P.H. (2000). "Magic and doubly-magic nuclei". Nuclear Physics News 10 (4): 20–27. doi:10.1080/10506890109411553. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232899048.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dumé, Belle (2003-04-23). "Bismuth breaks half-life record for alpha decay". Physicsweb. http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2003/apr/23/bismuth-breaks-half-life-record-for-alpha-decay.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Marcillac, Pierre de; Noël Coron; Gérard Dambier; Jacques Leblanc; Jean-Pierre Moalic (April 2003). "Experimental detection of α-particles from the radioactive decay of natural bismuth". Nature 422 (6934): 876–878. doi:10.1038/nature01541. PMID 12712201. Bibcode: 2003Natur.422..876D.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kean, Sam (2011). The Disappearing Spoon (and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the Periodic Table of Elements). New York/Boston: Back Bay Books. pp. 158–160. ISBN 978-0-316-051637.
6. ↑ Carvalho, H. G.; Penna, M. (1972). "Alpha-activity of The element Chemistry:Bismuth does not exist.". Lettere al Nuovo Cimento 3 (18): 720. doi:10.1007/BF02824346.The+element+Chemistry:Bismuth+does+not+exist.[[Category:Pages+with+incorrect+formatting+templates+use]]&rft.jtitle=Lettere+al+Nuovo+Cimento&rft.aulast=Carvalho&rft.aufirst=H.+G.&rft.au=Carvalho, H.+G.&rft.au=Penna, M.&rft.date=1972&rft.volume=3&rft.issue=18&rft.pages=720&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/BF02824346&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Physics:Bismuth-209">
7. ↑ "Isotope data for americium-241 in the Periodic Table". http://periodictable.com/Isotopes/095.241/index.full.html.
8. ↑ Takahashi, K; Boyd, R. N.; Mathews, G. J.; Yokoi, K. (October 1987). "Bound-state beta decay of highly ionized atoms". Physical Review C 36 (4): 1522–1528. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.36.1522. ISSN 0556-2813. OCLC 1639677. PMID 9954244. Bibcode: 1987PhRvC..36.1522T. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13335547. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
9. ↑ "Noble Gas Research". http://presolar.wustl.edu/work/noblegas.html. Tellurium-128 information and half-life. Accessed July 14, 2009.
10. ↑ Audi, G.; Bersillon, O.; Blachot, J.; Wapstra, A. H. (2003). "The NUBASE Evaluation of Nuclear and Decay Properties". Nuclear Physics A (Atomic Mass Data Center) 729 (1): 3–128. doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001. Bibcode: 2003NuPhA.729....3A. http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00014184.
11. ↑ "WWW Table of Radioactive Isotopes: Tellurium". Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 2008. http://ie.lbl.gov/toi/nuclide.asp?iZA=520128.
12. ↑ J.W. Beeman (2012). "First Measurement of the Partial Widths of 209Bi Decay to the Ground and to the First Excited States". Physical Review Letters 108 (6): 062501. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.062501. PMID 22401058.
13. ↑ "Particle lifetimes from the uncertainty principle". http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/parlif.html.
14. ↑ Hopper KD; King SH; Lobell ME; TenHave TR; Weaver JS (1997). "The breast: inplane x-ray protection during diagnostic thoracic CT—shielding with bismuth radioprotective garments". Radiology 205 (3): 853–8. doi:10.1148/radiology.205.3.9393547. PMID 9393547.
15. ↑ Lohse, Joachim; Zangl, Stéphanie; Groß, Rita; Gensch, Carl-Otto; Deubzer, Otmar (September 2007). "Adaptation to Scientific and Technical Progress of Annex II Directive 2000/53/EC". European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/description_layout.pdf.
16. ↑ Maile, Frank J.; Pfaff, Gerhard; Reynders, Peter (2005). "Effect pigments—past, present and future". Progress in Organic Coatings 54 (3): 150. doi:10.1016/j.porgcoat.2005.07.003.
17. ↑ Pfaff, Gerhard (2008). Special effect pigments: Technical basics and applications. Vincentz Network GmbH. p. 36. ISBN 978-3-86630-905-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1Pc0aY-vg4C&pg=PA36.
18. ↑ B. Gunter "Inorganic Colored Pigments” in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2012.
19. ↑ "Investigational treatment options in microscopic colitis". Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs 17 (12): 1829–37. December 2008. doi:10.1517/13543780802514500. PMID 19012499.
20. ↑ Merck Index, 11th Edition, 1299
21. ↑ Gordon, Robert B.; Rutledge, John W. (1984). "Bismuth Bronze from Machu Picchu, Peru". Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 223 (4636): 585–586. doi:10.1126/science.223.4636.585. PMID 17749940. Bibcode: 1984Sci...223..585G.
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Roessler, G. (2007). "Why 210Po?". Health Physics News (Health Physics Society) 35 (2). https://hps.org/documents/polonium_210_story.pdf. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
23. ↑ "Swiss study: Polonium found in Arafat's bones". Al Jazeera. http://www.aljazeera.com/investigations/killing-arafat/swiss-study-polonium-found-arafats-bones-201311522578803512.html.
24. ↑ Carvalho, F.; Fernandes, S.; Fesenko, S.; Holm, E.; Howard, B.; Martin, P.; Phaneuf, P.; Porcelli, D. et al. (2017). The Environmental Behaviour of Polonium. Technical reports series. 484. Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency. p. 22. ISBN 978-92-0-112116-5.
25. ↑ Barton, G. W.; Ghiorso, A.; Perlman, I. (1951). "Radioactivity of Astatine Isotopes". Physical Review 82 (1): 13–19. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.82.13. Bibcode: 1951PhRv...82...13B. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7q84d634. (Subscription content?)
26. ↑ Larsen, R. H.; Wieland, B. W.; Zalutsky, M. R. J. (1996). "Evaluation of an Internal Cyclotron Target for the Production of 211At via the 209Bi (α,2n)211At reaction". Applied Radiation and Isotopes 47 (2): 135–143. doi:10.1016/0969-8043(95)00285-5. PMID 8852627.
27. ↑ Nefedov, V. D.; Norseev, Yu. V.; Toropova, M. A.; Khalkin, Vladimir A. (1968). "Astatine". Russian Chemical Reviews 37 (2): 87–98. doi:10.1070/RC1968v037n02ABEH001603. Bibcode: 1968RuCRv..37...87N. (Subscription content?)
28. ↑ Aleklett, K.; Morrissey, D.; Loveland, W.; McGaughey, P.; Seaborg, G. (1981). "Energy dependence of 209Bi fragmentation in relativistic nuclear collisions". Physical Review C 23 (3): 1044. doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.23.1044. Bibcode: 1981PhRvC..23.1044A.
29. ↑ Matthews, Robert (2 December 2001). "The Philosopher's Stone". The Daily Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/4791069/The-Philosophers-Stone.html.
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Munzenberg; Hofmann, S.; Heßberger, F. P.; Reisdorf, W.; Schmidt, K. H.; Schneider, J. H. R.; Armbruster, P.; Sahm, C. C. et al. (1981). "Identification of element 107 by α correlation chains". Z. Phys. A 300 (1): 107–108. doi:10.1007/BF01412623. Bibcode: 1981ZPhyA.300..107M.
31. ↑ Hessberger, F. P.; Münzenberg, G.; Hofmann, S.; Agarwal, Y. K.; Poppensieker, K.; Reisdorf, W.; Schmidt, K.-H.; Schneider, J. R. H. et al. (1985). "The new isotopes 258105,257105,254Lr and 253Lr". Z. Phys. A 322 (4): 4. doi:10.1007/BF01415134. Bibcode: 1985ZPhyA.322..557H.
32. ↑ F. P. Hessberger; Hofmann, S.; Ackermann, D.; Ninov, V.; Leino, M.; Münzenberg, G.; Saro, S.; Lavrentev, A. et al. (2001). "Decay properties of neutron-deficient isotopes 256,257Db,255Rf, 252,253Lr". Eur. Phys. J. A 12 (1): 57–67. doi:10.1007/s100500170039. Bibcode: 2001EPJA...12...57H. http://www.edpsciences.org/articles/epja/abs/2001/09/epja1103/epja1103.html.
33. ↑ Leppänen, A.-P. (2005). Alpha-decay and decay-tagging studies of heavy elements using the RITU separator (PDF) (Thesis). University of Jyväskylä. pp. 83–100\. ISBN 978-951-39-3162-9. ISSN 0075-465X.
34. ↑ Nelson, S.; Gregorich, K.; Dragojević, I.; Garcia, M.; Gates, J.; Sudowe, R.; Nitsche, H. (2008). "Lightest Isotope of Bh Produced via the Bi209(Cr52,n)Bh260 Reaction". Physical Review Letters 100 (2): 22501. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.022501. PMID 18232860. Bibcode: 2008PhRvL.100b2501N.
35. ↑ Münzenberg, G. (1982). "Observation of one correlated α-decay in the reaction 58Fe on 209Bi→267109". Zeitschrift für Physik A 309 (1): 89–90. doi:10.1007/BF01420157. Bibcode: 1982ZPhyA.309...89M.
36. ↑ Münzenberg, G.; Hofmann, S.; Heßberger, F. P. et al. (1988). "New results on element 109". Zeitschrift für Physik A 330 (4): 435–436. doi:10.1007/BF01290131. Bibcode: 1988ZPhyA.330..435M.
37. ↑ Hofmann, S.; Heßberger, F. P.; Ninov, V. et al. (1997). "Excitation function for the production of 265108 and 266109". Zeitschrift für Physik A 358 (4): 377–378. doi:10.1007/s002180050343. Bibcode: 1997ZPhyA.358..377H.
38. ↑ Hofmann, S.; Ninov, V.; Heßberger, F. P.; Armbruster, P.; Folger, H.; Münzenberg, G.; Schött, H. J.; Popeko, A. G. et al. (1995). "The new element 111". Zeitschrift für Physik A 350 (4): 281–282. doi:10.1007/BF01291182. Bibcode: 1995ZPhyA.350..281H.
39. ↑ Hofmann, S.; Heßberger, F. P.; Ackermann, D.; Münzenberg, G.; Antalic, S.; Cagarda, P.; Kindler, B.; Kojouharova, J. et al. (2002). "New results on elements 111 and 112". The European Physical Journal A 14 (2): 147–157. doi:10.1140/epja/i2001-10119-x. Bibcode: 2002EPJA...14..147H.
40. ↑ Morita, K.; Morimoto, K. K.; Kaji, D.; Goto, S.; Haba, H.; Ideguchi, E.; Kanungo, R.; Katori, K. et al. (2004). "Status of heavy element research using GARIS at RIKEN". Nuclear Physics A 734: 101–108. doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2004.01.019. Bibcode: 2004NuPhA.734..101M.
41. ↑ Morita, Kosuke; Morimoto, Kouji; Kaji, Daiya; Akiyama, Takahiro; Goto, Sin-Ichi; Haba, Hiromitsu; Ideguchi, Eiji; Kanungo, Rituparna et al. (2004). "Experiment on the Synthesis of Element 113 in the Reaction 209Bi(70Zn, n)278113". Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 73 (10): 2593–2596. doi:10.1143/JPSJ.73.2593. Bibcode: 2004JPSJ...73.2593M.
42. ↑ Barber, Robert C.; Karol, Paul J; Nakahara, Hiromichi; Vardaci, Emanuele; Vogt, Erich W. (2011). "Discovery of the elements with atomic numbers greater than or equal to 113 (IUPAC Technical Report)". Pure and Applied Chemistry 83 (7): 1485. doi:10.1351/PAC-REP-10-05-01.
43. ↑ K. Morita; Morimoto, Kouji; Kaji, Daiya; Haba, Hiromitsu; Ozeki, Kazutaka; Kudou, Yuki; Sumita, Takayuki; Wakabayashi, Yasuo et al. (2012). "New Results in the Production and Decay of an Isotope, 278113, of the 113th Element". Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 81 (10): 103201. doi:10.1143/JPSJ.81.103201. Bibcode: 2012JPSJ...81j3201M.
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 Burbidge, E. M.; Burbidge, G. R.; Fowler, W. A.; Hoyle, F. (1957). "Synthesis of the Elements in Stars". Reviews of Modern Physics 29 (4): 547–650. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.29.547. Bibcode: 1957RvMP...29..547B.
45. ↑ Chaisson, Eric, and Steve McMillan. Astronomy Today. 6th ed. San Francisco: Pearson Education, 2008.
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Peppard, D. F.; Mason, G. W.; Gray, P. R.; Mech, J. F. (1952). "Occurrence of the (4n + 1) series in nature". Journal of the American Chemical Society 74 (23): 6081–6084. doi:10.1021/ja01143a074. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc172698/m2/1/high_res_d/metadc172698.pdf.
47. ↑ C. R. Hammond (2004). The Elements, in Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (81st ed.). CRC press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9. https://archive.org/details/crchandbookofche81lide.
48. ↑ "Smoke Detectors and Americium" (in en-au). Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper (Uranium Information Centre) 35. May 2002. http://www.uic.com.au/nip35.htm. Retrieved 2022-09-02.

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