Notation: mass number as a left superscript (e.g., ¹³N).
Columns: Isotope | Z | A | Stable? | Half‑life | Decay mode(s) | Daughter | Radiation | Origin | Uses | Notes.
| Isotope | Z | A | Stable? | Half‑life | Decay mode(s) | Daughter | Radiation | Origin | Uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⁹N | 7 | 9 | Unstable (unbound) | < 1 as | p emission (→ ⁸C → ⁶Be → ⁴He) | ⁸C (chain to ⁴He) | protons | Synthetic | Research (extreme proton‑rich) | Net multi‑p breakup via unbound intermediates. (Wikipedia) |
| ¹⁰N | 7 | 10 | Unstable (unbound) | 143 ys | p emission (tentative) | ⁹C (tentative) | protons | Synthetic | Research | Unbound; decay path indications are tentative. (Wikipedia) |
| ¹¹N | 7 | 11 | Unstable (unbound) | 585 ys | p emission | ¹⁰C | protons | Synthetic | Research | Also an isomer ¹¹mN (≈ 690 ys); ground state is unbound. (Wikipedia) |
| ¹²N | 7 | 12 | Unstable | 11.000 ms | β⁺ (≈ 98%); β⁺α (≈ 2%) | ¹²C; via ⁸Be→2α | β⁺; annihilation γ | Synthetic | Research (β‑delayed particle) | Evaluated precision half‑life. (NuclData, Wikipedia) |
| ¹³N | 7 | 13 | Unstable | 9.965 min | β⁺ → ¹³C | ¹³C | β⁺; annihilation γ | Synthetic (cyclotron); atmospheric (lightning) | Medical PET (¹³N‑ammonia myocardial perfusion) | PET workhorse with on‑site production. (NuclData, Wikipedia) |
| ¹⁴N | 7 | 14 | Stable | stable | — | — | — | Natural | Reference chemistry; ¹⁴N(n,p)¹⁴C cosmogenic source | Major natural isotope. (Wikipedia) |
| ¹⁵N | 7 | 15 | Stable | stable | — | — | — | Natural | NMR & isotopic labeling (metabolic tracing, nitrogen cycle) | Low capture cross‑section; narrow NMR lines. (wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov) |
| ¹⁶N | 7 | 16 | Unstable | 7.13 s | β⁻ → ¹⁶O (+ strong γ) | ¹⁶O | β⁻; γ 6.13 MeV (67%), 7.11 MeV (4.9%) | Activation in reactor coolant (¹⁶O(n,p)¹⁶N) | Industrial monitoring (PWR/BWR coolant leak detection) | Dominant coolant radionuclide at power. (INIS, Fluke Biomedical) |
| ¹⁷N | 7 | 17 | Unstable | 4.173 s | β⁻n (≈ 95%); β⁻ (≈ 5%); β⁻α (trace) | ¹⁶O; ¹⁷O; ¹³C | β⁻; delayed n; α (minor) | Synthetic | Research (β‑delayed n) | Evaluated branching shown. (Wikipedia) |
| ¹⁸N | 7 | 18 | Unstable | 619.2 ms | β⁻ (≈ 81%); β⁻α (≈ 12%); β⁻n (≈ 7%) | ¹⁸O; ¹⁴C; ¹⁷O | β⁻; delayed n/α | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ¹⁹N | 7 | 19 | Unstable | 336 ms | β⁻ (≈ 58%); β⁻n (≈ 42%) | ¹⁹O; ¹⁸O | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ²⁰N | 7 | 20 | Unstable | 136 ms | β⁻ (≈ 57%); β⁻n (≈ 43%) | ²⁰O; ¹⁹O | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ²¹N | 7 | 21 | Unstable | 85 ms | β⁻n (≈ 87%); β⁻ (≈ 13%) | ²⁰O; ²¹O | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ²²N | 7 | 22 | Unstable | 23 ms | β⁻ (≈ 54%); β⁻n (≈ 34%); β⁻2n (≈ 12%) | ²²O; ²¹O; ²⁰O | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | Research | — (Wikipedia) |
| ²³N | 7 | 23 | Unstable | 13.9 ms | β⁻ (>~ 47%); β⁻n (≈ 42%); β⁻2n (≈ 8%); β⁻3n (< 3.4%) | ²³O; ²²O; ²¹O; ²⁰O | β⁻; delayed n | Synthetic | Research (heaviest particle‑bound N) | Heaviest particle‑bound N isotope. (Wikipedia) |
Totals — Nitrogen
- Stable: 2 (¹⁴N, ¹⁵N)
- Unstable: 13 (⁹–¹³N, ¹⁶–²³N)
- Total isotopes: 15
Running cumulative totals (up to Z = 7)
- Cumulative total isotopes: 80 (H: 7 • He: 8 • Li: 10 • Be: 11 • B: 15 • C: 14 • N: 15)
- Cumulative stable: 13 (H: 2 • He: 2 • Li: 2 • Be: 1 • B: 2 • C: 2 • N: 2)
- Cumulative unstable: 67
Sources
- IAEA LiveChart of Nuclides (ENSDF backbone) — authoritative half‑lives/decay modes; interface & API. (IAEA)
- Isotopes of nitrogen — consolidated ground‑state list with half‑lives and branches (⁹N–²³N). (Wikipedia)
- TUNL half‑life tables (A=3–20) — precision half‑lives for ¹²N (11.000 ms) and ¹³N (9.958 min). (NuclData)
- N‑16 in reactor coolant — activation path ¹⁶O(n,p)¹⁶N; γ lines 6.13 MeV (67%) & 7.11 MeV (4.9%); operational monitoring. (INIS, Fluke Biomedical)
Next: Oxygen (Z = 8)