SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER science idea

Theories about the possible existence of superheavy elements appeared in the 1960s. Their longest-lived cores may give rise to a so-called "island of stability" far beyond Uranus. However, a new study by nuclear physicists at Lund University shows that the 50-year-old manifesto of nuclear physics must now be revised.
The heaviest element in nature is uranium, whose nucleus contains 92 protons and 146 neutrons. The nuclei of heavier elements become increasingly unstable due to the increase in the number of positively charged protons. So they disintegrate faster and faster, usually within a fraction of a second.
However, the "magic" combination of protons and neutrons can lead to elements with rapidly increasing lifetimes.
This "magic" number of protons has long been predicted for the element flerovium, whose atomic number is 114 in the periodic table. In the late 1960s, the Lund physicist Sven Nilsson proposed the theory that such an island of stability should exist around the then-undiscovered element 114.
"This is a kind of Holy Grail in nuclear physics. Many dream of discovering something as exotic as a long – lived or even stable superheavy element," says Anton Somark-Roth of Lund University.
Inspired by Nilsson's theories, the researchers studied the element of flerovium in detail and made revolutionary discoveries. The experiment was conducted by an international research team led by Dirk Rudolf, a professor at Lund University.
As part of the FAIR Phase-0 research program at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung particle accelerator in Darmstadt, Germany, until 61018 (6 000 000 000 000 000 000) The atomic nuclei of calcium-48 were accelerated to 10% of the speed of light.
They bombarded a thin film of rare plutonium-244, and with the help of atomic nuclear fusion, it was possible to create flerovium, one atom at a time. Then, in an 18-day experiment, a team of researchers recorded the radioactive decay of several dozen flerovium nuclei using a detection device specially developed in Lund.
By accurately analyzing the decay fragments and the periods during which they were released, the team was able to identify new branches of the flerovium decay. It has been shown that this cannot be consistent with the previously predicted "magic" properties of the element.
The new results, published in the research journal Physical Review Letters, will be very useful to science.
Instead of looking for an island of stability around Element 114, scientists will be able to focus on other, yet-to-be-discovered elements.
"It was a difficult, but, of course, very successful experiment. We now know that we can go from element 114 and instead look around element 120, which is not yet detected. Now the journey to the island of stability will take a long time – this is a new course," the researchers conclude.

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