Created a new isotope Mendelevium - 244

A scientific group from the laboratory of Lawrence Berkeley made the discovery of the new isotope Mendelevium-244, which is already the 17th and currently the lightest form of this element. And he (element) occupies the one hundred and first line in the periodic table.

The scientific group shared its work with the public, publishing material in the authoritative edition of Physical Review Letters.

What is this element

Mendelevium is an artificially produced element, first discovered in the Berkeley laboratory back in 1955. After that, a large number of so-called isotopes of this element were discovered.

As D. So far, it was quite problematic to find the next isotope due to the fact that absolutely all isotopes of the element are endowed with almost identical half-life properties.

After all, absolutely every isotope is endowed with a unique combination of protons and neutrons. At the same time, the study of these combinations is of great importance for the understanding of all nuclear matter.

In the course of the experiments carried out on the 88-inch Fiona cyclotron, scientists formed a beam of particles such as argon-40 (an isotope of argon) and focused the beam on a target made of bismuth-209.

Thus, as a result of the bombardment with atoms, it turned out to create a new isotope of Mendelevium-244.

The scientific team studied 10 atoms of Mendelevium-244. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the resulting element has two decay chains at once. Moreover, one of them has a half-life of 0.4 s, and the other chain has a half-life of 6 s.

For reference. The half-life is the time during which the number of atoms of a radioactive element is halved from its original volume.

Scientists will continue to continue their experiments in obtaining more and more new, previously unknown isotopes. Thus, better understanding the essence of the process of their formation and splitting.

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