Phosphorus-30

Properties and data of the isotope ³⁰P.

Content

General Data

Radioactive Decay

Parent Nuclides

Isotones und Isobares

Literature

Phosphorus-30 is a radioisotope of the chemical element Phosphorus, which, in addition to the element-specific 15 protons, has 15 neutrons in the atomic nucleus, resulting in the mass number 30. The very short-lived, unstable and therefore radioactive nuclide, which can only be produced artificially, has no practical significance; The study of ³⁰P is exclusively for academic purposes.

The discovery of this isotope, which does not occur in nature, by Irène Joliot-Curie and Frédéric Joliot and their findings on the synthesis of new radioactive elements was honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935.

General data

Name of the isotope:Phosphorus-30; P-30Symbol:³⁰P or 3015PMass number A:30 (= number of nucleons)Atomic number Z:15 (= number of protons)Neutrons N:15Isotopic mass:29.97831349(7) u (atomic weight of Phosphorus-30)Nuclide mass:29.9700849 u (calculated nuclear mass without electrons)Mass excess:-20.20085 MeVMass defect:0.26903573 u (per nucleus)Nuclear binding energy:250.60516828 MeV (per nucleus)
8.35350561 MeV (average binding energy per nucleon)Separation energy:S_N = 11.3193(4) MeV (first neutron)
S_P = 5.59475(7) MeV (first proton)Half-life:2.498(4) minDecay constant λ:0.0046246809484918 s^-1Specific activity α:9.603613828994 × 10⁺¹⁹ Bq g^-1
2595571305.1336 Ci g^-1Spin and parity:
(nuclear angular momentum)1+Year of discovery:1934

Radioactive Decay

Phosphorus-30 is a positron emitter that radioactively decays into silicon-30.

Half-life T_½ = 2.498(4) min (minutes) respectively 1.4988 × 10² seconds s.

Decay mode	Daughter	Probability	Decay energy	γ energy (intensity)
EE/β⁺	³⁰Si	100 %	4.23211(7) MeV

Parent Nuclides

Direct parent isotopes are: ³⁰S, ³¹Cl.

Isotones and Isobars

The following table shows the atomic nuclei that are isotonic (same neutron number N = 15) and isobaric (same nucleon number A = 30) with Phosphorus-30. Naturally occurring isotopes are marked in green; light green = naturally occurring radionuclides.

OZ	Isotone N = 15	Isobar A = 30
5	²⁰B
6	²¹C
7	²²N
8	²³O
9	²⁴F	³⁰F
10	²⁵Ne	³⁰Ne
11	²⁶Na	³⁰Na
12	²⁷Mg	³⁰Mg
13	²⁸Al	³⁰Al
14	²⁹Si	³⁰Si
15	³⁰P	³⁰P
16	³¹S	³⁰S
17	³²Cl	³⁰Cl
18	³³Ar	³⁰Ar
19	³⁴K
20	³⁵Ca
21	³⁶Sc

External data and identifiers

Adopted Levels, Gammas:NuDat 30P

Literature and References

[1] - S. M. Sahakundu, S. M. Qaim, G. Stöcklin:
Cyclotron production of short-lived ³⁰P.
In: The International Journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes, (1979), DOI 10.1016/0020-708X(79)90088-7.