Xenon is a chemical element wi the seembolXe an atomic nummer54. It is a colourless, hivy, odorless noble gas, that occurs in the Yird's atmosphere in trace amoonts.[8] Altho generally unreactive, xenon can unnergo a few chemical reactions sic as the furmation o xenon hexafluoroplatinate, the first noble gas compound tae be synthesized.[9][10][11]
Xenon is uised in flash lamps[12] an arc lamps,[13] an as a general anesthetic.[14] The first excimer laser design uised a xenon dimer molecule (Xe2) as the lasin medium,[15] an the earliest laser designs uised xenon flash lamps as pumps.[16] Xenon is uised tae sairch for hypothetical waikly interactin massive pairticles[17] an as the propellant for ion thrusters in spacecraft.[18] an for the three ion propulsion engines on NASA's Dawn Spacecraft.[19]
Naiturally occurrin xenon consists o aicht stable isotopes. Mair nor 40 unstable xenon isotopes unnergae radioactive decay, an the isotope ratios o xenon are an important tuil for studyin the early history o the Solar Seestem.[20] Radioactive xenon-135 is produced bi beta decay frae iodine-135 (a product o nuclear fission), an is the maist signeeficant (an unwantit) neutron absorber in nuclear reactors.[21]
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