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General | |
---|---|
Symbol | 241Pu |
Names | plutonium-241, 241Pu, Pu-241 |
Protons (Z) | 94 |
Neutrons (N) | 147 |
Nuclide data | |
Natural abundance | 0 (Artificial) |
Half-life (t1/2) | 14 years |
Isotope mass | 241.057 Da |
Decay products | 241Am 237U |
Decay modes | |
Decay mode | Decay energy (MeV) |
β− | 0.02078(17)[1] |
α | 5.055(5)[1] |
Isotopes of plutonium Complete table of nuclides |
Plutonium-241 (241
Pu
or Pu-241) is an isotope of plutonium formed when plutonium-240 captures a neutron. Like some other plutonium isotopes (especially 239Pu), 241Pu is fissile, with a neutron absorption cross section about one-third greater than that of 239Pu, and a similar probability of fissioning on neutron absorption, around 73%. In the non-fission case, neutron capture produces plutonium-242. In general, isotopes with an odd number of neutrons are both more likely to absorb a neutron and more likely to undergo fission on neutron absorption than isotopes with an even number of neutrons.