Isotopes of dysprosium

Isotope data
dysprosium symbol icon

Many of the Dy isotopes have been the subject of physics research. Dy-156 has been used to study double electron capture while Dy-160 has been used in research to investigate its multitude of excited states. Dy-161 spectroscopy has been used to determine the properties of Dy based superconductor material. Dy-162 has been used to study excited states in deformed nuclei. Dy-164 has two medical applications. It is used in the production of Dy-165 which is used in arthritis therapy. Dy-164 is also used for the production of Dy-166 which decays to Ho-166 and this used in cancer therapy. The Dy-164 to Ho-166 route gives the advantage of generating so-called carrier free material. Dysprosium isotopes can be obtained from Trace Sciences International.

Naturally occurring isotopes

This table shows information about naturally occuring isotopes, their atomic masses, their natural abundances, their nuclear spins, and their magnetic moments. Further data for radioisotopes (radioactive isotopes) of dysprosium are listed (including any which occur naturally) below.
Isotope Atomic mass (ma/u) Natural abundance (atom %) Nuclear spin (I) Magnetic moment (μ/μN)
156Dy 155.924277 (8) 0.06 (1) 0
158Dy 157.924403 (5) 0.10 (1) 0
160Dy 159.925193 (4) 2.34 (8) 0
161Dy 160.926930 (4) 18.91 (24) 5/2 -0.4806
162Dy 161.926795 (4) 25.51 (26) 0
163Dy 162.928728 (4) 24.90 (16) 5/2 0.6726
164Dy 163.929171 (4) 28.18 (37) 0

Isotopic abundances of Dy
In the above picture, the most intense ion is set to 100% since this corresponds best to the output from a mass spectrometer. This is not to be confused with the relative percentage isotope abundances which total 100% for all the naturally occurring isotopes.

Radiosotope data

Further data for naturally occuring isotopes of dysprosium are listed above. This table gives information about some radiosotopes of dysprosium, their masses, their half-lives, their modes of decay, their nuclear spins, and their nuclear magnetic moments.
Isotope Mass Half-life Mode of decay Nuclear spin Nuclear magnetic moment
152Dy 151.92472 2.37 h EC to 152Tb; α to 148Gd 0
153Dy 152.925763 6.3 h EC to 153Tb; α to 149Gd 7/2 -0.78
154Dy 153.92442 3 x 106 y α to 150Gd 0
155Dy 154.92575 9.9 h EC to 155Tb 3/2 -0.385
157Dy 156.92546 8.1 h EC to 157Tb 3/2 -0.301
159Dy 158.925736 144 d EC to 159Tb 3/2 -0.354
165Dy 164.931700 2.33 h β- to 165Ho 7/2 -0.52
166Dy 165.932803 3.400 d β- to 166Ho 0

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References

  1. Naturally occurring isotope abundances: Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances report for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Isotopic Compositions of the Elements 1989, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1998, 70, 217. [Copyright 1998 IUPAC]
  2. Masses, nuclear spins, and magnetic moments: I. Mills, T. Cvitas, K. Homann, N. Kallay, and K. Kuchitsu in Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, 1988. [Copyright 1988 IUPAC]
  3. For further information about radioisotopes see Jonghwa Chang's (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) Table of the Nuclides

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dysprosium atomic number