What does Pu-238 decay to?
What does Pu-238 decay to?
uranium-234
Initial production Plutonium-238 naturally decays to uranium-234 and then further along the radium series to lead-206. Historically, most plutonium-238 has been produced by Savannah River in their weapons reactor, by irradiating with neutrons neptunium-237 (half life 2.144 Ma).
What does the 238 represent in plutonium 238?
Variants of a given element with differing numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. Pu-238 is a variant (or isotope) of plutonium with an atomic weight of 238 (94 protons plus 144 neutrons); it was the first isotope of plutonium that was discovered.
What type of radiation does plutonium 238 emit?
alpha particles
Plutonium predominantly emits alpha particles – a type of radiation that is easily stopped and has a short range.
How much power does plutonium 238 produce?
The later and more efficient multi-mission RTG (MMRTG) uses eight 290-watt RTG units with a total of 4.8 kg plutonium-238 oxide producing 2 kW thermal, which can be used to generate some 110 watts of electric power, 2.7 kWh/day.
What kind of radiation does 238Pu emit?
238Pu is rare in that it only emits alpha radiation, meaning that the fuel pretty much shields itself. It also emits a useful amount of heat for either producing electricity or heat, and over a useful timeframe.
What is plutonium 238 used for in space?
New plutonium-238 production is part of a broader infrastructure at DOE that provides radioisotope power systems to NASA for use in space missions.
Is there any use for 238Pu in RTGS?
The only use to date of 238Pu in RTGs is as Pu (IV)O2, usually shortened to PuO2. The IV indicates the crystalline structure of the oxide, being a face-centered cubic crystal rather than the more common body-centered cubic structure.
How many keV gamma does Th-232 emit?
Th-232 (1.4 x 1010 a) Ra-228 (5.75 a) Ac-228 (6.1 h) Ac-228 emits a 911 keV gamma in 28% of its decays. The long time required for Ac-228 to grow into secular equilibrium from purified thorium-232 makes the assumption of equilibrium a little problematic.