Successful test could lead to discovery of element 120
Researchers are motivated by the quest to find an element stable enough to resist rapid decay. A theory in nuclear physics suggests the existence of an "island of stability" where superheavy elements could remain stable for longer periods. Scientists aim to investigate the upper limits of atomic stability.
In a study that involved Lund University in Sweden, a new technique for detecting livermorium, which has 116 protons in its nucleus, was successfully tested. The experiment provides hope for future efforts to create element 120.
"We were able to register a livermorium nucleus in our detector just eight days into the experiment, which shows that we had chosen pretty good settings from the start," said Dirk Rudolph, a researcher from Lund University who participated in the study.
The experiment was conducted at the Berkeley Lab in the United States. Lund University's team contributed a key piece of equipment to the experiment - a detector system known as SHREC. This detector was transported to Berkeley in the researchers' hand luggage, and it features 14 custom-made silicon wafers in a small box.
Producing superheavy elements requires an accelerator to generate an intense ion beam, which is aimed at a target composed of an element heavier than uranium. After a fusion reaction, the resulting product is detected and analyzed.
"I'm very proud that SHREC performed like clockwork in the experimental setup right after we brought it with us from Lund," commented Pavel Golubev, the Lund team's detector expert.
The experiment on livermorium will continue through the year. Afterward, the team plans to work toward producing element 120, a process that could take several years. SHREC was funded mainly by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and represents Lund's primary contribution to the project at Berkeley.
Research Report:Toward the Discovery of New Elements: Production of Livermorium (??=116) with 50 Ti
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