Aluminium-26

Aluminium-26 (²⁶Al, Al-26) is a radioactive isotope of aluminium. It decays by either positron emission or electron capture to magnesium-26. The half-life of ²⁶Al is 7.17×10⁵ years. A small amount of aluminium-26 is made when atoms hit cosmic ray protons.^[1]

When aluminium-26 decays it also produces gamma rays and x-rays. Because it is radioactive, it is usually kept behind at least 5 centimetres (2 in) of lead. We use special tools to transfer, use, and store aluminium-26.^[2]

Aluminium-26 Media

The distribution of 26Al in Milky Way

References

↑ Overholt, Andrew C.. Cosmogenic nuclide enhancement via deposition from long-period comets as a test of the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis (in en). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 377-378 (2013). p. 55–61. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.07.029.
↑ Nuclide Safety Data Sheet Aluminum-26National Health& Physics Society.

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[1] Overholt, Andrew C.. Cosmogenic nuclide enhancement via deposition from long-period comets as a test of the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis (in en). Earth and Planetary Science Letters 377-378 (2013). p. 55–61. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.07.029.

[2] Nuclide Safety Data Sheet Aluminum-26National Health& Physics Society.

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