A nuclear isomer is a metastable state of an atomic nucleus in which one or more nucleons (protons or neutrons) occupy excited state levels (higher energy levels). "Metastable" describes nuclei whose excited states have half-lives of 10−9 seconds or longer, 100 to 1000 times longer than the half-lives of the excited nuclear states that decay with a "prompt" half-life (ordinarily on the order of 10−12 seconds).
A nuclear isomer is a metastable state of an atomic nucleus in which one or more nucleons (protons or neutrons) occupy excited state levels (higher energy levels). "Metastable" describes nuclei whose excited states have half-lives of 10−9 seconds or longer, 100 to 1000 times longer than the half-lives of the excited nuclear states that decay with a "prompt" half-life (ordinarily on the order of 10−12 seconds).
Source: Wikipedia "Nuclear isomer" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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