About   |   More   |   Search
ChemLin Logo

Isotopes of Protactinium

List, data and properties of all known isotopes of Protactinium.

Content
Atomic properties
Decay properties
NMR active nuclides
Radiation protection
References
Protactinium isotopes

All atomic nuclei of the chemical element protactinium are summarized under protactinium isotopes; these all consist of an atomic nucleus with 91 protons and, in the uncharged state, 91 electrons. The difference between each protactinium isotope is based on the number of neutrons in the nucleus.

 

Naturally Occurring Protactinium Isotopes

Natural terrestrial protactinium deposits consist practically 100% of the nuclide 231Pa; in addition, the isotope 234Pa and its nuclear isomeric nuclide 234mPa are found in small traces and as intermediate products of radioactive decay processes. All protactinium isotopes are unstable.

 

The relative atomic mass is given as 231.03588(2) u.

 

Isotope Table: Protactinium

The two following tables list the most important data and properties of the Protactinium isotopes. Further information on the individual Protactinium isotopes is listed on separate pages and can be accessed via the link in column 1.

 

Atomic Properties

Isotope
Nuclide		ENAtomic Mass
[Nuclear Mass]
{Mass Excess}		Spin I
(h/2π)		Parent
123456
Protactinium-21221291Pa121212.02318(8) u
[211.9732657 u]
{21.59203 MeV}
Protactinium-21321391Pa122213.02111(8) u
[212.9711957 u]
{19.66384 MeV}
Protactinium-21421491Pa123214.02092(8) u
[213.9710057 u]
{19.48685 MeV}
Protactinium-21521591Pa124215.01918(8) u
[214.9692657 u]
{17.86605 MeV}
Protactinium-21621691Pa125216.01911(6) u
[215.9691957 u]
{17.80085 MeV}
Protactinium-21721791Pa126217.018324(17) u
[216.9684097 u]
{17.0687 MeV}		(9/2-)
Protactinium-217m217m91Pa126217.018324(17) u
[216.9684097 u]
{17.0687 MeV}		(23/2-)
Protactinium-21821891Pa127218.020058(20) u
[217.9701437 u]
{18.68391 MeV}
Protactinium-21921991Pa128219.01990(6) u
[218.9699857 u]
{18.53673 MeV}		9/2-
Protactinium-22022091Pa129220.02170(5) u
[219.9717857 u]
{20.21342 MeV}
Protactinium-22122191Pa130221.02187(6) u
[220.9719557 u]
{20.37177 MeV}		9/2-
Protactinium-22222291Pa131222.02378(8) u
[221.9738657 u]
{22.15093 MeV}		226Np
Protactinium-22322391Pa132223.02396(8) u
[222.9740457 u]
{22.3186 MeV}		227Np
Protactinium-22422491Pa133224.025617(8) u
[223.9757027 u]
{23.86208 MeV}		(5-)228Np
Protactinium-22522591Pa134225.026150(90) u
[224.9762357 u]
{24.35857 MeV}		229Np
Protactinium-22622691Pa135226.027948(12) u
[225.9780337 u]
{26.03339 MeV}		230Np
Protactinium-22722791Pa136227.028804(8) u
[226.9788897 u]
{26.83075 MeV}		(5/2-)231Np
Protactinium-22822891Pa137228.031051(5) u
[227.9811367 u]
{28.92382 MeV}		3+232Np
Protactinium-22922991Pa138229.032096(4) u
[228.9821817 u]
{29.89723 MeV}		(5/2+)233Np
229U
Protactinium-23023091Pa139230.034540(3) u
[229.9846257 u]
{32.1738 MeV}		2-
Protactinium-23123191Pa140231.0358826(19) u
[230.9859683 u]
{33.42443 MeV}		3/2-235Np
231U
231Th
Protactinium-23223291Pa141232.038590(8) u
[231.9886757 u]
{35.94635 MeV}		(2-)236Np
Protactinium-23323391Pa142233.0402466(14) u
[232.9903323 u]
{37.48947 MeV}		3/2-237Np
233Th
Protactinium-23423491Pa143234.043306(4) u
[233.9933917 u]
{40.33928 MeV}		4+234Th
Protactinium-234m234m91Pa143234.043306(4) u
[233.9933917 u]
{40.33928 MeV}		(0-)
Protactinium-23523591Pa144235.045399(15) u
[234.9954847 u]
{42.2889 MeV}		(3/2-)235Th
Protactinium-23623691Pa145236.048668(15) u
[235.9987537 u]
{45.33395 MeV}		1(+)236Th
Protactinium-23723791Pa146237.051023(14) u
[237.0011087 u]
{47.52762 MeV}		(1/2+)
Protactinium-23823891Pa147238.054637(17) u
[238.0047227 u]
{50.89404 MeV}		(3-)238Th
Protactinium-23923991Pa148239.05726(21) u
[239.0073457 u]
{53.33735 MeV}		(3/2)
Protactinium-24024091Pa149

 

Radioactive Decay Properties

IsotopeRadioactive DecayExtern
Half-lifeDecay ModeProbabilityEnergy
789101112
Pa-212ca. 5.1 msα → 208Ac100 %8.42(5) MeVAL
Pa-213ca. 5.3 msα → 209Ac100 %8.39(5) MeVAL
Pa-21417(3) msα → 210Ac≤ 100 %8.27(5) MeVAL
Pa-21514(2) msα → 211Ac100 %8.24(5) MeVAL
Pa-216ca. 0.15 sα → 212Ac
EC → 216Th		~ 98 %
~ 2 %		8.097(15) MeV
7.50(5) MeV		AL
Pa-2173.8(2) msα → 213Ac100 %8.489(4) MeVAL
Pa-217m1.08(3) msα → 213Ac
Iso → 217Pa		73(4) %
27(4) %
AL
Pa-218113(10) μsα → 214Ac100 %9.815(10) MeVAL
Pa-21953(10) nsα → 215Ac100 %10.08(5) MeVAL
Pa-2200.78(16) μsα → 216Ac
EC/β+ → 220Th		> 99 %
<< 1 %		9.65(5) MeV
5.55(6) MeV		AL
Pa-2215.9(17) μsα → 217Ac100 %9.25(5) MeVAL
Pa-222ca. 2.9 msα → 218Ac100 %8.89(5) MeVAL
Pa-2235.1(6) msα → 219Ac100 %8.33(5) MeVAL
Pa-224846(20) msα → 220Ac100 %7.694(6) MeVAL
Pa-2251.7(2) sα → 221Ac100 %7.401(59) MeVAL
Pa-2261.8(2) minα → 222Ac
EC/β+ → 226Th		74(5) %
26(5) %		6.987(10) MeV
2.836(12) MeV		AL
Pa-22738.3(3) minα → 223Ac
EC → 227Th		85(2) %
15(2) %		6.5804(21) MeV
1.026(8) MeV		AL
Pa-22822(1) hα → 224Ac
EC/β+ → 228Th		1.85(17) %
98.15(17) %		6.2645(15) MeV
2.153(5) MeV		AL
Pa-2291.50(5) dα → 225Ac
EC → 229Th		0.48(5) %
99.52(5) %		5.835(4) MeV
0.311(4) MeV		AL
Pa-23017.4(5) dα → 226Ac
EC/β+ → 230Th
β- → 230U		0.0032(1) %
92.2(7) %
7.8(7) %		5.4394(7) MeV
1.311(3) MeV
0.559(5) MeV		AL
Pa-2313.276(11) × 104 aα → 227Ac
SF div		ca. 100 %
<<< 1 %		5.1499(8) MeV
AL
Pa-2321.32(2) dβ- → 232U
EC → 232Th		ca. 100 %
?		1.337(7) MeV
0.500(8) MeV		AL
Pa-23326.975(13) dβ- → 233U100 %0.5703(20) MeVAL
Pa-2346.70(5) hβ- → 234U100 %2.194(4) MeVAL
Pa-234m1.159(11) minβ- → 234U
Iso → 234Pa		99.84(4) %
0.16(4) %
AL
Pa-23524.4(2) minβ- → 235U100 %1.370(14) MeVAL
Pa-2369.1(1) minβ- → 236U100 %2.889(14) MeVAL
Pa-2378.7(2) minβ- → 237U100 %2.137(13) MeVAL
Pa-2382.28(10) minβ- → 238U100 %3.586(16) MeVAL
Pa-2391.8(5) hβ- → 239U100 %2.76(20) MeVAL
Pa-240- ungelistet -AL

 

Notes (related to the columns):

1 - name of the nuclide, isotope.
2 - E: isotope symbol with mass number (superscript; number of nucleons) and Atomic number (subscript; number of protons).
3 - N: number of neutrons.
4 - relative atomic mass of the Protactinium isotope (isotopic mass including electrons) and the mass of the atomic nucleus in square brackets (nuclear mass, nuclide mass without electrons), each related to 12C = 12.00000 [2]. In addition, the mass excess is given in MeV.
5 - nuclear spin I, unit: h/2π.
6 - source nuclides: Possible, assumed or actual source nuclides (mother nuclides, parent nuclides). If applicable, the corresponding decay modes can be found in the data for the respective starting nuclide.

7 - isotope notation in short form.
8 - decay: half-live of the Protactinium isotope (a = years; ; d = days; h = hours; min = minutes; s = seconds).
9 - decay mode: type of decay into the respective daughter nuclides with n = neutron emission; p = proton emission; α = alpha decay; β- = beta minus decay with electron emission; EC = electron capture; β+ = positron emission; ε = β+ and/or EC; Iso = isomeric transition; CD = cluster decay; SF = spontaneous decay.
10 - decay probability in percent (%).
11 - decay energy; Particle energy related to decay type.
12 - other information and notes: AL = Adopted Levels (link to external data [1]).

Miscellaneous:

()- Numbers in brackets: uncertainty to represent the spread of the reported value.
~ - Theoretical values or systematic trends.
  - unlisted-: Nuclides that have already been mentioned in the literature but for some reason can no longer be found in the current nuclide tables because their discovery e.g. has not confirmed.

 

NMR active Protactinium nuclides

Nuclide
quantity 1)
spin		Nuclear
magnetic
moment
μ/μN		Gyromagnetic ratio
{Quadrupole moment}		Resonant
frequency
v0 bei 1 T		Relative
sensitivity
H0 = const.
v0 = const. 3)
231Pa
100 %
3/2-		2,01(2)0,40
{-1,72(5)}		10,20,06903
1,1995

1) Quantity Percentage of natural occurrence.

2) Gyromagnetic ratio: 107 rad T-1 s-1
    Quadrupole moment: Q [barn] = [100 fm2]

3) Related to 1H = 1,000.

 

Radiation Protection

According to the Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV 2018, Germany), the following values (columns 1 to 7) apply to the handling of Protactinium radionuclides:

NuclideLimit ValueHASS limitSCDaughter NuclidesHalf-life
Pa-227+106 Bq1000 Bq/g38.3 min
Pa-228+106 Bq10 Bq/g22.0 h
Pa-230+106 Bq10 Bq/g0,1 TBq1 Bq cm-217.4 d
Pa-231103 Bq0,01 Bq/g0,01 Bq cm-233000 a
Pa-232106 Bq10 Bq/g1.3 d
Pa-233107 Bq10 Bq/g0,4 TBq10 Bq cm-227.0 d
Pa-234106 Bq10 Bq/g6.8 h

(HASS = High-Activity Sealed Radioactive Sources; SC = surface contamination)

 

Literature Sources and References

Properties of the Protactinium nucleides

[1] - NuDat: National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, based on ENSDF and the Nuclear Wallet Cards.

[2] - G. Audi et. al.: The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties. Nuclear Physics, (2003), DOI 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001.

[3] - Live Chart of Nuclides. Nuclear structure and decay data.

Protactinium: NMR properties - 231Pa-NMR

[4] - N. J. Stone: Table of nuclear magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments. Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, (2005), DOI 10.1016/j.adt.2005.04.001.

[5] - Pekka Pyykkö: Year-2008 nuclear quadrupole moments. Molecular Physics, (2008), DOI 10.1080/00268970802018367.

[6] - Pekka Pyykkö: Year-2017 nuclear quadrupole moments. Molecular Physics, (2018), DOI 10.1080/00268976.2018.1426131.

[7] - N. J. Stone: Table of recommended nuclear magnetic dipole moments. IAEA, (2019).

More sources:

[8] - Isotopic abundances, atomic weights and isotopic masses: see respective keyword.

[9] - C. Fry, M. Thoennessen:
Discovery of actinium, thorium, protactinium, and uranium isotopes.
In: Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables, (2013), DOI 10.1016/j.adt.2012.03.002.

 

More Chemistry

isotopes

 

 

 

 

About ChemLin

home

about

contact, imprint

cookie and privacy policy

terms of use

Social Media

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

 

 

Last update: 2022-12-12

© 1996 - 2023 ChemLin