OlympusMons94 t1_iyjajjv wrote
Reply to comment by cjheaford in Do we have any compounds or materials on Earth that compared to the rest of the universe is incredibly rare? by SwordArtOnlineIsGood
U-238 can undergo spontaneous fission, which results in the emission of neutrons. If a U-238 nucleus absorbs a neutron, it becomes U-239, which quickly decays to Np-239, and then Pu-239.
But there are other isotopes of Plutonium besides Pu-239. This includes Pu-238, which can also occur naturally in small amounts as a result of double beta decay of U-238.
Yet another naturally occurring isotope of Plutonium is Pu-244, which has a relatively long half-life of 80.6 million years. This is produced by the r-process, and some trace amounts of this have been found in the ocean floor.
cjheaford t1_iyjbmin wrote
Very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to explain!
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments