The JRC has released a new edition of the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart, an extended periodic table which displays all known isotopes of every element and their radioactive data. The 9th edition contains new and updated radioactive decay data on 1644 nuclides not found in the previous 2012 issue. In total, nuclear data on 3992 experimentally observed nuclides are presented.
An explanatory booklet is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian. This publication supports the JRC's particular focus on the education and training of present and future scientists and engineers in the nuclear domain, as required by the Euratom Treaty.
The term "nuclide" categorises atoms by the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus. Nuclide charts offer a full description of the radioactive attributes of an element and its known isotopes, providing a unique overview of the current knowledge in nuclear science.
The Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart shows all known nuclides in a clear two dimensional co-ordinate system of nuclide boxes depicting the number of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus. A nuclide box of the chart contains the element symbol, the mass number and other nuclear data on the nuclide characterised by the position in the neutron-proton co-ordinate system. The colours of the nuclide boxes represent the different radioactive decay modes of the radionuclides.
Since its first edition in 1958, the Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart has provided scientists and students with structured and accurate information on the half-lives and decay modes of radionuclides, as well as the energies of emitted radiation. Beyond the more traditional physical sciences such as health physics and radiation protection, nuclear radiochemistry and astrophysics, the chart is now in common use in life and earth sciences such as biology, medicine, agriculture and geology.
An important characteristic of the chart is its great didactic value for education and training in nuclear sciences. It has been used in training programmes worldwide and is a valuable addition to many books on nuclear science including school physics books.
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