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Argon (Ar) has 24 known isotopes, from

30
Ar to
53
Ar and 1 isomer (
32m
Ar), three of which are stable,
36
Ar,
38
Ar, and
40
Ar. On Earth,
40
Ar
makes up 99.6% of natural argon. The longest-lived radioactive isotopes are
39
Ar with a half-life of 269 years,
42
Ar with a half-life of 32.9
years, and
37
Ar with a half-life of 35.04 days. All other isotopes have half-lives less than 2 hours, and most less than a minute. The least
stable is
30
Ar with a half-life shorter than 20 nanoseconds.
Naturally occurring p
40
K with a half-life of 1.248 10
9
(3) years, decays to stable
40
Ar (10.72%) by electron capture and by positron
emission, and also transforms to stable
40
Ca (89.28%) via beta decay. These properties and ratios are used to determine the age of rocks
through potassium-argon dating.
[1]
Despite trapping of
40
Ar in many rocks, it can be released by melting, grinding, and diffusion. Almost all of the argon in the Earth's
atmosphere is the product of potassium-40 decay, since 99.6% of Earth atmospheric argon is
40
Ar, whereas in the Sun and presumably in
primordial star-forming clouds, argon consists of < 15%
38
Ar and mostly (85%)
36
Ar. Similarly, the ratio of the three isotopes
36
Ar:
38
Ar:
40
Ar in the atmospheres of the outer planets is measured to be 8400: 1600: 1
[2]
In the Earth's atmosphere, radioactive
39
Ar (half-life 269 years) is made by cosmic ray activity, primarily from
40
Ar. In the subsurface
environment, it is also produced through neutron capture by
39
K or alpha emission by calcium. The content of
39
Ar in natural argon is
measured to be of (8.00.6)10
16
g/g, or (1.010.08) Bq/kg of
36, 38, 40
Ar.
[3]
The content of
42
Ar (half-life 33 years) in the Earth's
atmosphere is lower than 610
21
parts per part of
36, 38, 40
Ar.
[4]
In December 2013,
36
Argon, in the form of argon hydride, was found in
cosmic dust associated with the Crab nebula supernova.
[5][6]
This was the first time a noble molecule was detected in outer space.
[5][6]
Radioactive
37
Ar is a synthetic radionuclide that is created from the neutron spallation of
40
Ca as a result of subsurface nuclear explosions.
It has a half-life of 35 days.
[1]
Standard argon atomic mass: 39.948(1) u.
Contents
1 Table
2 See also
3 References
4 External links
Table
Isotopes of argon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_argon
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nuclide
symbol
Z(p) N(n)

isotopic mass (u)

half-life
decay
mode(s)
[7]
daughter
isotope(s)
[n 1]
nuclear
spin
representative
isotopic
composition
(mole fraction)
[n 2]
range of natural
variation
(mole fraction)
excitation energy
30
Ar 18 12 30.02156(32)# <20 ns p
29
Cl 0+
31
Ar 18 13 31.01212(22)# 14.4(6) ms

+
, p (55.0%)
30
S
5/2(+#)

+
(40.4%)
31
Cl

+
, 2p (2.48%)
29
P

+
, 3p (2.1%)
28
Si
32
Ar 18 14 31.9976380(19) 98(2) ms

+
(56.99%)
32
Cl
0+

+
, p (43.01%)
31
S
32m
Ar 5600(100)# keV unknown 5-#
33
Ar 18 15 32.9899257(5) 173.0(20) ms

+
(61.35%)
33
Cl
1/2+

+
, p (38.65%)
32
S
34
Ar 18 16 33.9802712(4) 844.5(34) ms
+ 34
Cl 0+
35
Ar 18 17 34.9752576(8) 1.775(4) s
+ 35
Cl 3/2+
36
Ar 18 18 35.967545106(29) Observationally Stable
[n 3]
0+ 0.003336(4)
37
Ar 18 19 36.96677632(22) 35.04(4) d
37
Cl 3/2+
38
Ar 18 20 37.9627324(4) Stable 0+ 6.29(1)10
4
39
Ar
[n 4]
18 21 38.964313(5) 269(3) a
39
K 7/2- Trace
[n 5]
40
Ar
[n 6]
18 22 39.9623831225(29) Stable 0+ 0.996035(4)
[n 7]
41
Ar 18 23 40.9645006(4) 109.61(4) min
41
K 7/2-
42
Ar 18 24 41.963046(6) 32.9(11) a
42
K 0+ Trace
43
Ar 18 25 42.965636(6) 5.37(6) min
43
K (5/2-)
44
Ar 18 26 43.9649240(17) 11.87(5) min
44
K 0+
45
Ar 18 27 44.9680400(6) 21.48(15) s
45
K (1/2,3/2,5/2)-
46
Ar 18 28 45.96809(4) 8.4(6) s
46
K 0+
47
Ar 18 29 46.97219(11) 1.23(3) s

(99%)
47
K
3/2-#

, n (1%)
46
K
48
Ar 18 30 47.97454(32)# 0.48(40) s
48
K 0+
49
Ar 18 31 48.98052(54)# 170(50) ms
49
K 3/2-#
50
Ar 18 32 49.98443(75)# 85(30) ms
50
K 0+
51
Ar 18 33 50.99163(75)# 60# ms [>200 ns]
51
K 3/2-#
52
Ar 18 34 51.99678(97)# 10# ms
52
K 0+
53
Ar 18 35 53.00494(107)# 3# ms

53
K
(5/2-)#

, n
52
K
^ Bold for stable isotopes 1.
^ Isotopic composition refers to that in air.
36
Ar is actually far more abundant than
40
Ar, universally.
40
Ar is most abundant in air because most of
it is radiogenic. Such
40
Ar atoms are a decay product from
40
K via electron capture, whereas
40
K goes under mostly
-
decay to
40
Ca.
40
Ar
escapes the
40
K-containing rocks into the atmosphere, thus making the argon in the air mostly
40
Ar, not
36
Ar.
2.
^ Believed to undergo
+

+
decay to
36
S (lightest theoretically unstable nuclide for which no evidence of radioactivity has been observed) 3.
^ Used in argon-argon dating 4.
^ Cosmogenic nuclide 5.
^ Used in argon-argon dating and potassium-argon dating 6.
^ Generated from
40
K in rocks. These ratios are terrestrial. Cosmic abundance is far less than
36
Ar. 7.
Isotopes of argon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_argon
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Nuclide masses are given by IUPAP Commission on Symbols, Units, Nomenclature, Atomic Masses and Fundamental Constants
(SUNAMCO).
Isotope abundances are given by IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights.
See also
References
^
a

b
"
40
Ar/
39
Ar dating and errors" (http://web.archive.org/web/20070509023017/http://www.geoberg.de/text/geology/07011601.php). Archived
from the original (http://www.geoberg.de/text/geology/07011601.php) on 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
1.
^ Cameron, A. G. W., "Elemental and Isotopic Abundances of the Volatile Elements in the Outer Planets" (Article published in the Space Science
Reviews special issue on 'Outer Solar System Exploration - An Overview', ed. by J. E. Long and D. G. Rea.) Journal: Space Science Reviews,
Volume 14, Issue 3-4, pp. 392-400 (1973).
2.
^ P. Benetti et al. (2007). "Measurement of the specific activity of
39
Ar in natural argon". Nuclear Instruments and Methods A 574: 83.
arXiv:astro-ph/0603131 (//arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0603131). Bibcode:2007NIMPA.574...83B (http://adsabs.harvard.edu
/abs/2007NIMPA.574...83B). doi:10.1016/j.nima.2007.01.106 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.nima.2007.01.106).
3.
^ V. D. Ashitkov et al. (1998). "New experimental limit on the
42
Ar content in the Earth's atmosphere". Nuclear Instruments and Methods A 416:
179. doi:10.1016/S0168-9002(98)00740-2 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2FS0168-9002%2898%2900740-2).
4.
^
a

b
Quenqua, Douglas (13 December 2013). "Noble Molecules Found in Space" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/science/space/noble-
molecules-found-in-space.html). New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
5.
^
a

b
Barlow, M. J.; et al. (2013). "Detection of a Noble Gas Molecular Ion,
36
ArH+, in the Crab Nebula". Science 342 (6164): 13431345.
doi:10.1126/science.124358213 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.124358213).
6.
^ http://www.nucleonica.net/unc.aspx 7.
Isotope masses from:
G. Audi, A. H. Wapstra, C. Thibault, J. Blachot and O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay
properties" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/amdc/nubase/Nubase2003.pdf). Nuclear Physics A 729: 3128.
Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003NuPhA.729....3A). doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.nuclphysa.2003.11.001).
Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from:
J. R. de Laeter, J. K. Bhlke, P. De Bivre, H. Hidaka, H. S. Peiser, K. J. R. Rosman and P. D. P. Taylor (2003). "Atomic weights
of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)" (http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/75/6/0683/pdf/). Pure and
Applied Chemistry 75 (6): 683800. doi:10.1351/pac200375060683 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1351%2Fpac200375060683).
M. E. Wieser (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)" (http://iupac.org/publications/pac/78
/11/2051/pdf/). Pure and Applied Chemistry 78 (11): 20512066. doi:10.1351/pac200678112051 (http://dx.doi.org
/10.1351%2Fpac200678112051). Lay summary (http://old.iupac.org/news/archives/2005/atomic-weights_revised05.html).
Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. See editing notes on this article's talk page.
G. Audi, A. H. Wapstra, C. Thibault, J. Blachot and O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay
properties" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/amdc/nubase/Nubase2003.pdf). Nuclear Physics A 729: 3128.
Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003NuPhA.729....3A). doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.nuclphysa.2003.11.001).
National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.1 database" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/). Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Retrieved September 2005.
N. E. Holden (2004). "Table of the Isotopes". In D. R. Lide. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). CRC Press.
Section 11. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.
External links
Argon isotopes data from The Berkeley Laboratory Isotopes Project's (http://ie.lbl.gov/education/parent/Ar_iso.htm)
Isotopes of chlorine Isotopes of argon
Isotopes of
potassium
Table of nuclides
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Categories: Argon Isotopes of argon Lists of isotopes by element
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