Curium

Definition

Curium is a synthetic chemical constituent with the symbol Cm and atomic number 96. A radioactive metallic transuranic constituent of the actinide series, curium is produced by bombarding plutonium with alpha particles.

Application

The Curium isotopes Cm and Cm are physically powerful alpha emitters with a halflife in the months to years variety and produce considerable heat during this process. These properties make them useful for applications as alpha particle source and as heat producer in radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG).