Isotopes of germanium explained

Germanium (32Ge) has five naturally occurring isotopes, 70Ge, 72Ge, 73Ge, 74Ge, and 76Ge. Of these, 76Ge is very slightly radioactive, decaying by double beta decay with a half-life of 1.78 × 1021 years[1] (130 billion times the age of the universe).

Stable 74Ge is the most common isotope, having a natural abundance of approximately 36%. 76Ge is the least common with a natural abundance of approximately 7%.

At least 27 radioisotopes have also been synthesized ranging in atomic mass from 58 to 89. The most stable of these is 68Ge, decaying by electron capture with a half-life of 270.95 d. It decays to the medically useful positron-emitting isotope 68Ga. (See gallium-68 generator for notes on the source of this isotope, and its medical use.) The least stable known germanium isotope is 59Ge with a half-life of 13.3 ms.

While most of germanium's radioisotopes decay by beta decay, 61Ge and 65Ge can also decay by β+-delayed proton emission. 84Ge through 87Ge also have minor β−-delayed neutron emission decay paths.

76Ge is used in experiments on the nature of neutrinos, by searching for neutrinoless double beta decay.

List of isotopes

|-| rowspan=3|59Ge| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 27| rowspan=3|58.98243(43)#| rowspan=3|13.3(17) ms| β+, p (93%)| 58Zn| rowspan=3|7/2−#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β+ (7%)| 59Ga|-| 2p?| 57Zn|-| rowspan=2|60Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 28| rowspan=2|59.97045(32)#| rowspan=2|21(6) ms| β+, p| 59Zn| rowspan=2|0+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β+, 2p? (<14%)| 58Cu|-| rowspan=2|61Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 29| rowspan=2|60.96373(32)#| rowspan=2|40.7(4) ms| β+, p (87%)| 60Zn| rowspan=2|3/2−#| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β+ (18%)| 61Ga|-| rowspan=2|62Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 30| rowspan=2|61.95476(15)#| rowspan=2|82.5(14) ms| β+| 62Ga| rowspan=2|0+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β+, p?| 61Zn|-| rowspan=2|63Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 31| rowspan=2|62.949628(40)| rowspan=2|153.6(11) ms| β+| 63Ga| rowspan=2|3/2−#| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β+, p?| 62Zn|-| 64Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 32| 63.9416899(40)| 63.7(25) s| β+| 64Ga| 0+|||-| rowspan=2|65Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 33| rowspan=2|64.9393681(23)| rowspan=2|30.9(5) s| β+ (99.99%)| 65Ga| rowspan=2|3/2−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β+, p (0.011%)| 64Zn|-| 66Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 34| 65.9338621(26)| 2.26(5) h| β+| 66Ga| 0+|||-| 67Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 35| 66.9327170(46)| 18.9(3) min| β+| 67Ga| 1/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 67m1Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 18.20(5) keV| 13.7(9) μs| IT| 67Ge| 5/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 67m2Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 751.70(6) keV| 109.1(38) ns| IT| 67Ge| 9/2+|||-| 68Ge[2] | style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 36| 67.9280953(20)| 271.05(8) d | EC| 68Ga| 0+|||-| 69Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 37| 68.9279645(14)| 39.05(10) h| β+| 69Ga| 5/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 69m1Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 86.76(2) keV| 5.1(2) μs| IT| 69Ge| 1/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 69m2Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 397.94(2) keV| 2.81(5) μs| IT| 69Ge| 9/2+|||-| 70Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 38| 69.92424854(88)| colspan=3 align=center|Stable| 0+| 0.2052(19)||-| 71Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 39| 70.92495212(87)| 11.468(8) d[3] | EC| 71Ga| 1/2−|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 71mGe| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 198.354(14) keV| 20.41(18) ms| IT| 71Ge| 9/2+|||-| 72Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 40| 71.922075824(81)| colspan=3 align=center|Stable| 0+| 0.2745(15)||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 72mGe| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 691.43(4) keV| 444.2(8) ns| IT| 72Ge| 0+|||-| 73Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 41| 72.923458954(61)| colspan=3 align=center|Stable| 9/2+| 0.0776(8)||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 73m1Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 13.2845(15) keV| 2.91(3) μs| IT| 73Ge| 5/2+|||-| style="text-indent:1em" | 73m2Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 66.725(9) keV| 499(11) ms| IT| 73Ge| 1/2−|||-| 74Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 42| 73.921177760(13)| colspan=3 align=center|Stable| 0+| 0.3652(12)||-| 75Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 43| 74.922858370(55)| 82.78(4) min| β−| 75As| 1/2−|||-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | 75m1Ge| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 139.69(3) keV| rowspan=2|47.7(5) s| IT (99.97%)| 75Ge| rowspan=2|7/2+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β− (0.030%)| 75As|-| style="text-indent:1em" | 75m2Ge| colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 192.19(6) keV| 216(5) ns| IT| 75Ge| 5/2+|||-| 76Ge[4] | style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 44| 75 921402.725(19)| (2.022±0.018±0.038) y[5] | β−β−| 76Se| 0+| 0.0775(12)||-| 77Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 45| 76 923549.843(56)| 11.211(3) h| β−| 77As| 7/2+| | |-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | 77mGe| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 159.71(6) keV| rowspan=2|53.7(6) s| β− (81%)| 77As| rowspan=2|1/2−| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| IT (19%)| 77Ge|-| 78Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 46| 77.9228529(38)| 88.0(10) min| β−| 78As| 0+|||-| 79Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 47| 78.925360(40)| 18.98(3) s| β−| 79As| (1/2)−|||-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | 79mGe| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 185.95(4) keV| rowspan=2|39.0(10) s| β− (96%)| 79As| rowspan=2|7/2+#| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| IT (4%)| 79Ge|-| 80Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 48| 79.9253508(22)| 29.5(4) s| β−| 80As| 0+|||-| 81Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 49| 80.9288329(22)| 9(2) s| β−| 81As| 9/2+#|||-| rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | 81mGe| rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 679.14(4) keV| rowspan=2|6(2) s| β−| 81As| rowspan=2|(1/2+)| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| IT? (<1%)| 81Ge|-| 82Ge| style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 50| 81.9297740(24)| 4.31(19) s| β−| 82As| 0+|||-| rowspan=2|83Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 51| rowspan=2|82.9345391(26)| rowspan=2|1.85(6) s| β−| 83As| rowspan=2|(5/2+)| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β−, n?| 82As|-| rowspan=2|84Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 52| rowspan=2|83.9375751(34)| rowspan=2|951(9) ms| β− (89.4%)| 84As| rowspan=2|0+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β−, n (10.6%)| 83As|-| rowspan=3|85Ge| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 53| rowspan=3|84.9429697(40)| rowspan=3|495(5) ms| β− (82.8%)| 85As| rowspan=3|(3/2+,5/2+)#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β−, n (17.2%)| 84As|-| β−, 2n?| 83As|-| rowspan=2|86Ge| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 54| rowspan=2|85.94697(47)| rowspan=2|221.6(11) ms| β− (55%)| 86As| rowspan=2|0+| rowspan=2|| rowspan=2||-| β−, n (45%)| 85As|-| rowspan=3|87Ge| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 55| rowspan=3|86.95320(32)#| rowspan=3|103(4) ms| β−| 87As| rowspan=3|5/2+#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β−, n?| 86As|-| β−, 2n?| 85As|-| rowspan=3|88Ge| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 56| rowspan=3|87.95757(43)#| rowspan=3|61(6) ms| β−| 88As| rowspan=3|0+| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β−, n?| 87As|-| β−, 2n?| 86As|-| rowspan=3|89Ge| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 57| rowspan=3|88.96453(43)#| rowspan=3|60# ms [>300&nbsp;ns]| β−?| 89As| rowspan=3|3/2+#| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β−, n?| 88As|-| β−, 2n?| 87As|-| rowspan=3|90Ge| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 32| rowspan=3 style="text-align:right" | 57| rowspan=3|89.96944(54)#| rowspan=3|30# ms [>400&nbsp;ns]| β−?| 90As| rowspan=3|0+| rowspan=3|| rowspan=3||-| β−, n?| 89As|-| β−, 2n?| 88As|-| 91Ge[6] | style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 59| | | | | |||-| 92Ge[6] | style="text-align:right" | 32| style="text-align:right" | 60| | | | | ||

Notes and References

  1. A. M. Bakalyarov . A. Ya. Balysh . S. T. Belyaev . V. I. Lebedev . S. V. Zhukov . 2003 . Results of the experiment on investigation of Germanium-76 double beta decay . 77–81 . 2 . 2 . Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters . hep-ex/0309016. 2003hep.ex....9016B .
  2. Used to generate 68Ga
  3. Norman . E. B. . Drobizhev . A. . Gharibyan . N. . Gregorich . K. E. . Kolomensky . Yu. G. . Sammis . B. N. . Scielzo . N. D. . Shusterman . J. A. . Thomas . K. J. . Half-life of Ge 71 and the gallium anomaly . Physical Review C . 30 May 2024 . 109 . 5 . 10.1103/PhysRevC.109.055501 .
  4. [Primordial nuclide|Primordial]
  5. M. Agostini . et al. . Final Results of GERDA on the Two-Neutrino Double-β Decay Half-Life of 76Ge . Physical Review Letters . American Physical Society (APS) . 131 . 14 . 2023-10-03 . 142501 . 0031-9007 . 10.1103/physrevlett.131.142501. 37862664 . 2308.09795 . 2023PhRvL.131n2501A . 261049638 . free .
  6. Shimizu . Y. . Kubo . T. . Sumikama . T. . Fukuda . N. . Takeda . H. . Suzuki . H. . Ahn . D. S. . Inabe . N. . Kusaka . K. . Ohtake . M. . Yanagisawa . Y. . Yoshida . K. . Ichikawa . Y. . Isobe . T. . Otsu . H. . Sato . H. . Sonoda . T. . Murai . D. . Iwasa . N. . Imai . N. . Hirayama . Y. . Jeong . S. C. . Kimura . S. . Miyatake . H. . Mukai . M. . Kim . D. G. . Kim . E. . Yagi . A. . Production of new neutron-rich isotopes near the N = 60 isotones Ge 92 and As 93 by in-flight fission of a 345 MeV/nucleon U 238 beam . Physical Review C . 8 April 2024 . 109 . 4 . 10.1103/PhysRevC.109.044313.

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