'The Heaviest' Element May Appear on the Periodic Table as Scientists Complete Crucial Step

Scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have taken a significant step towards potentially adding a new element to the periodic table—element 120. Building on their history of discovering 16 of the 118 known elements, they have accomplished the first crucial step by producing the third-heaviest element, livermorium, using a titanium beam. The result, achieved with an impressive degree of precision, was presented at the Nuclear Structure 2024 conference. This is prepared by SSP.

"This reaction had never been demonstrated before," stated Dr. Jacklyn Gates of Berkeley Lab’s Heavy Element Group. Using a beam of titanium-50 atoms shot at a plutonium target within their 88-Inch Cyclotron, they successfully created two atoms of element 116, marking an essential precursor to generating element 120. Completing this experiment involved managing trillions of atomic collisions and deemed feasible the rare but possible creation of element 120, a task anticipated to take several years.

Unique to this experiment, the use of titanium—unlike previously utilized calcium-48 beams known for their "magic" neutron-proton configuration—is said to be pivotal for heavier element synthesis. The team’s validation of a stable titanium beam paves the pathway to future endeavors targeting element 120, scientifically referred to as unbinilium, which harbors 120 protons within its nucleus.

Dr. Reiner Kruecken of Berkeley Lab noted that, while creating new elements is typically plagued by the instability of combining superheavy atoms, the feasibility is now "promising" albeit requiring meticulous preparation. By early 2025, preparations will likely include incorporating californium-249 in lieu of plutonium as the target. The alignment of this aim with the Nuclear Science Advisory Committee's 2023 Long-Range Plan marks a union of complex engineering tasks; the process requiring ultra-precise isotopes heated in sophisticated ovens and manipulated by advanced cyclotrons bears high chances of progressing the boundaries of atomic science.

Michael Thoennessen of Michigan State University endorsed the experiment, underlining its critical role as foundational to eventually creating heavier, stable elements. Element 120’s synthesis would deepen our understanding of nuclear physics and display behaviors of elements on the theoretical "island of stability".

As the team looks ahead, the creation of superheavy elements which presently do not possess practical uses, promises newer insights potential unexplored utilities. Researchers from institutions worldwide including Lund University and Argonne National Laboratory are optimistic about what lies ahead in elemental discoveries.RALX%

Through this endeavor, Berkeley Lab confirms their capability to venture to the frontiers of the periodic table, laying the groundwork that’s expected to further our knowledge about the strong force and element genesis in the universe.

Check out an interesting video by PBS Space Time about undiscovered elements: