The Disintegration of Cadmium with Deuterons

Abstract

The bombardment of a cadmium target by deuterons of energy 6.3 Mev yields certain radioactive isotopes. Chemical analysis of the bombarded metal shows the presence of two radioactive isotopes of cadmium having half-life periods of 4.3 hr and 58 hr, respectively. Both emit negative electrons. The long-period cadmium activity gives rise to a radioactive indium of half-life 2.3 hr. This indium isotope in succession emits negatives resulting in the formation of a stable tin isotope. Successive chemical separations carried out over a period of sixty hours showed the indium to be in equilibrium with the long period cadmium. The existence of radioactive isotopes of half-life periods shorter than about 30 minutes is not precluded.