Iron-68

Properties and data of the isotope ⁶⁸Fe.

Contents

General data

Name of the isotope:Iron-68; Fe-68Symbol:⁶⁸Fe or 6826FeMass number A:68 (= number of nucleons)Atomic number Z:26 (= number of protons)Neutrons N:42Isotopic mass:67.95331(39) u (atomic weight of Iron-68)Nuclide mass:67.9390473 u (calculated nuclear mass without electrons)Mass excess:-43.49145 MeVMass defect:0.614067304 u (per nucleus)Nuclear binding energy:572.00000927 MeV (per nucleus)
8.41176484 MeV (average binding energy per nucleon)Separation energy:S_N = 5.95(45) MeV (first neutron)
S_P = 17.32(47) MeV (first proton)Half-life:188(4) msDecay constant λ:3.6869530880848 s^-1Specific activity α:3.313932961257 × 10⁺²² Bq g^-1
895657557096.62 Ci g^-1Spin and parity:
(nuclear angular momentum)0+Year of discovery:1985

Radioactive Decay

Half-life T_½ = 188(4) ms respectively 1.88 × 10^-1 seconds s.

Decay mode	Daughter	Probability	Decay energy	γ energy (intensity)
β^-	⁶⁸Co	100 %	8.44(41) MeV
β^-, n	⁶⁷Co	?	3.76(37) MeV

Parent Nuclides

Direct parent isotope is: ⁶⁸Mn.

Isotones and Isobars

The following table shows the atomic nuclei that are isotonic (same neutron number N = 42) and isobaric (same nucleon number A = 68) with Iron-68. Naturally occurring isotopes are marked in green; light green = naturally occurring radionuclides.

Z	Isotone N = 42	Isobar A = 68
23	⁶⁵V
24	⁶⁶Cr	⁶⁸Cr
25	⁶⁷Mn	⁶⁸Mn
26	⁶⁸Fe	⁶⁸Fe
27	⁶⁹Co	⁶⁸Co
28	⁷⁰Ni	⁶⁸Ni
29	⁷¹Cu	⁶⁸Cu
30	⁷²Zn	⁶⁸Zn
31	⁷³Ga	⁶⁸Ga
32	⁷⁴Ge	⁶⁸Ge
33	⁷⁵As	⁶⁸As
34	⁷⁶Se	⁶⁸Se
35	⁷⁷Br	⁶⁸Br
36	⁷⁸Kr	⁶⁸Kr
37	⁷⁹Rb
38	⁸⁰Sr
39	⁸¹Y
40	⁸²Zr
41	⁸³Nb
42	⁸⁴Mo
43	⁸⁵Tc
44	⁸⁶Ru