Production and Assignment of a New Transuranium Neutron-Deficient Isotope ²³⁵Am

A new transuranium neutron-deficient isotope ²³⁵Am was produced via the reaction of ²³⁸Pu ( p , 4n) ²³⁵Am by using a 35 MeV proton beam. The recoiled products were collected by a helium-jet and long-capillary system. Americium isotopes were separated out by a rapid radiochemical method. X-ray, γ-ray, and x-γ coincidence measurements were taken in the study. According to ²³⁵Pu decay γ-ray and Np K x-ray growth-decay property, ²³⁵Am was definitely identified and its half life is determined as 15 ± 5 min.