Element 114 on the brink of recognition

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19083-element-114-on-the-brink-of-recognition.html

by nreece • 16 years ago

12 7 16 years ago

Can someone comment on how the physicists detect if an element 114 atom sticks to gold? Or how they observe the decay chain?

Also, is there an upper bound for synthesized elements? Will an element's half-life become so short that it just can't exist, in that Zeno's-paradox sort-of way?

tow21• 16 years ago

Not particularly Zeno's paradox-y, but yes.

You're trying to stick together big balls of protons and neutrons that wobble about under all the internal stresses and strains, which are stabilized by the surface tension of the nucleus. It's really very much like a drop of water, or even a bubble.

While small bubbles are fairly stable, because the surface tension largely overcomes any tendency to fall apart, large bubbles quickly break under the stress of other forces - there's a practical upper limit to the size of bubble you can make. The same thing is true, for the same reasons, with large nuclei.

tocomment2• 16 years ago

I've always wondered why you can't just add more neutrons to make something stable?

Also why can't a nucleus exist of only neutrons? It seems like the strong force would hold it together, and I can't think of any forces pushing them apart.

ErrantX• 16 years ago

More on this specific element for those so inclined: http://www.webelements.com/ununquadium/

Element 114 on the brink of recognition

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