Nickel-68

Properties and data of the isotope ⁶⁸Ni.

Content

General data

Name of the isotope:Nickel-68; Ni-68Symbol:⁶⁸Ni or 6828NiMass number A:68 (= number of nucleons)Atomic number Z:28 (= number of protons)Neutrons N:40Isotopic mass:67.931869(3) u (atomic weight of Nickel-68)Nuclide mass:67.9165092 u (calculated nuclear mass without electrons)Mass excess:-63.46362 MeVMass defect:0.633828536 u (per nucleus)Nuclear binding energy:590.40747831 MeV (per nucleus)
8.68246292 MeV (average binding energy per nucleon)Separation energy:S_N = 7.792(4) MeV (first neutron)
S_P = 15.431(7) MeV (first proton)Half-life:29(2) sDecay constant λ:0.02390162691586 s^-1Specific activity α:2.14834274729 × 10⁺²⁰ Bq g^-1
5806331749.4541 Ci g^-1Spin and parity:
(nuclear angular momentum)0+Year of discovery:1977

Radioactive Decay

Half-life T_½ = 29(2) s respectively 2.9 × 10¹ seconds s.

Decay mode	Daughter	Probability	Decay energy	γ energy (intensity)
β^-	⁶⁸Cu	100 %	2.103(3) MeV

Parent Nuclides

Direct parent isotope is: ⁶⁸Co.

Nuclear Isomers

Nuclear isomers or excited states with the activation energy in keV related to the ground state.

Nuclear Isomer	Excitation Energy	Half-life	Spin
^68m1Ni	1770(30) keV	270(5) ns	0+
^68m2Ni	2849.1(3) keV	0.86(5) ms	5-

Isotones and Isobars

The following table shows the atomic nuclei that are isotonic (same neutron number N = 40) and isobaric (same nucleon number A = 68) with Nickel-68. Naturally occurring isotopes are marked in green; light green = naturally occurring radionuclides.

OZ	Isotone N = 40	Isobar A = 68
21	⁶¹Sc
22	⁶²Ti
23	⁶³V
24	⁶⁴Cr	⁶⁸Cr
25	⁶⁵Mn	⁶⁸Mn
26	⁶⁶Fe	⁶⁸Fe
27	⁶⁷Co	⁶⁸Co
28	⁶⁸Ni	⁶⁸Ni
29	⁶⁹Cu	⁶⁸Cu
30	⁷⁰Zn	⁶⁸Zn
31	⁷¹Ga	⁶⁸Ga
32	⁷²Ge	⁶⁸Ge
33	⁷³As	⁶⁸As
34	⁷⁴Se	⁶⁸Se
35	⁷⁵Br	⁶⁸Br
36	⁷⁶Kr	⁶⁸Kr
37	⁷⁷Rb
38	⁷⁸Sr
39	⁷⁹Y
40	⁸⁰Zr
41	⁸¹Nb
42	⁸²Mo