Gold-198
| General | |
|---|---|
| Symbol | 198Au |
| Names | gold-198 |
| Protons (Z) | 79 |
| Neutrons (N) | 119 |
| Nuclide data | |
| Half-life (t1/2) | 2.6946 d |
| Isotope mass | 197.9682437 Da |
| Spin | 2− |
| Decay products | 198Hg |
| Decay modes | |
| Decay mode | Decay energy (MeV) |
| β− | 1.373 |
| Isotopes of gold Complete table of nuclides | |
Gold-198 (198Au) is a radioactive isotope of gold, normally made by neutron capture on natural gold (entirely gold-197). It undergoes exclusively beta decay to stable 198Hg with a half-life of 2.6946 days.
The decay properties of 198Au have led to interest in its potential use in radiotherapy for cancer treatments. This isotope has also found use in nuclear weapons research and as a radioactive tracer in hydrological research.