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Jul 23, 2022

The making of moscovium

Posted by in category: futurism

Circa 2019


Yuri Oganessian relates the story of the formation and decay of a doubly odd moscovium nucleus.

Element 115 was the first superheavy element with an odd atomic number (Z) that we synthesized in nuclear reactions using a beam of accelerated 48 Ca ions. These experiments were carried out in 2003, on the heels of the first results obtained for even elements 114 and 116. We had no doubts that their odd neighbour could also be produced in a similar manner; its decay properties however would be very different.

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