PorscheBunny

From The Register:

A collaborative research team of Russian and America scientists may have created two new heavyweight elements. Provisionally named Ununpentium and Ununtrium, if confirmed, these will be the heaviest elements on official record, with 115 and 113 protons in the nuclei, respectively.

Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia bombarded an Americium target with heavy Calcium atoms. Initial results suggested that an atom with 115 protons in its nucleus had been created. This existed for 90 milliseconds before decaying into a smaller, but still massive element with 113 protons in its nucleus. This stayed around for 1.2 seconds, enough time for some interesting chemistry, according to a report in Nature*.

The scientific world is reacting cautiously to the news: in 2001 a scientist was found to have faked results indicating that he had created an even heavier element with an atomic mass of 118. Since that incident, verification of any results has been an absolute priority.

The findings also hint that scientists are getting close to the predicted ‘Island of Stability'. This is a region in the periodic table where very heavy atoms are stable, because of the particular arrangement that the nuclear particles may take.

The heaviest element to occur in nature is Uranium, weighing in at 92 on the atomic mass scale.

Heavier elements than that decay rapidly as the strong, attractive nuclear force is overcome by the repulsive, electrostatic force between protons. The heaviest officially-certified** synthetic element, Darmstadtium, had 110 protons. Researchers have reported finding elements with 111, 112, 114 and 116 protons. These are yet to be officially confirmed.

However, a zone in which the protons could find a stable arrangement is predicted, and these ghostly sightings indicate that this could be getting close. In this region, elements may remain stable for a number of years. By contrast, the lives of ‘normal’ elements however, are of the order of the age of the universe.

The findings were originally reported in Physical Review . ®

*During which time it received several unsolicited emails, and sent its bank account details to someone in Nigeria

** Certified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

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nash

I think they are being too uncreative with the naming. They should name them Nashium and Nashiumtwo.

goateebird

I'm pretty sure that for these new synthetic heavy elements, those are only temporary placeholder names.

VitaminH

These are only temp names until a real name can be choosen and put into use.

A lot of the time, to put it in simple terms they are just smashing two atoms into one another at high speeds, getting them to stick together for 1/2 a second and claiming to have discovered a new element

At least, thats what my old biology professor told me

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Peetster

Is this a reference to the quasi-scientific nature of the magazine Nature? Otherwise, I get the email hoax reference but not the joke.

kulrblind

Peetster: I think that's the joke

Journeyman

I thought it was referencing to the 1.2 seconds that the 113 atom managed to exist for, and that that's how long it takes to get the nigerian scam spam.

PorscheBunny

Hand that man a Lewinsky-flavored cigar.

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Sapper

These elements have been "created" and dis-proven already

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djtestudo

I think the Russians just really wanted to bomb "Americium"

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orphen

Yep, just read it on the econnomist too. pretty insteresting really. after all these years...