Isotopes of californium projectiles, mortar projectiles, rockets, bombs, land mines, and improvised explosive devices (IED). In the oil industry, Cf-252 neutron sources are used to find layers of petroleum and water in a well. Instrumentation is lowered into the well which bombards the formation with high energy neutrons to determine porosity, permeability, and hydrocarbon presence along the length of the borehole. Californium-252 has also been used in the treatment of serious forms of cancer. In patients suffering from certain types of brain and cervical cancer, Cf-252 can be used as a more cost-effective substitute for radium. Isotopes of californium Californium (Cf) is an
Californium made by bombarding berkelium-249 () with neutrons, forming berkelium-250 () via neutron capture (n,γ) which, in turn, quickly beta decays (β) to californium-250 () in the following reaction: Bombardment of californium-250 with neutrons produces californium-251 and californium-252. Prolonged irradiation of americium, curium, and plutonium with neutrons produces milligram amounts of californium-252 and microgram amounts of californium-249. As of 2006, curium isotopes 244 to 248 are irradiated by neutrons in special reactors to produce primarily californium-252 with lesser amounts of isotopes 249 to 255. Microgram quantities of californium-252 are available for commercial use through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Only two