Cosmogenic Radionuclides
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Cosmic radiation permeates all of space, the source being primarily outside of our solar system. The radiation is in many forms, from high-speed heavy particles to high-energy photons and muons. The upper atmosphere interacts with many of the cosmic radiations, and produces radioactive nuclides in nuclear reactions. They can have long half-lives, but the majority have shorter half-lives than the primordial nuclides. Here is a table with some common cosmogenic nuclides:
Cosmogenic Nuclides | ||||
Nuclide |
Symbol |
Source |
Natural Activity | |
Carbon 14 |
14C |
Cosmic-ray interactions, 14N(n,p)14C; |
6 pCi/g (0.22 Bq/g) in living organic material | |
Tritium |
3H |
Cosmic-ray interactions with N and O; spallation from cosmic-rays, for instance 6Li(n,alpha)3H |
0.032 pCi/kg (1.2 x 10-3 Bq/kg) | |
Beryllium 7 |
7Be |
Cosmic-ray interactions with N and O; |
0.27 pCi/kg (0.01 Bq/kg) |
Some other cosmogenic radionuclides are 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, 80Kr, 32Si, 39Ar, 22Na, 35S, 37Ar, 33P, 32P, 28Mg, 24Na, 38S, 31Si, 18F, 39Cl, 38Cl, 34mCl.