Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Superheavy Elements

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Discovery of Isotopes

Abstract

The primary interest in the study of superheavy elements is the quest for the island of stability and the discovery of new elements. The present chapter describes the three major techniques (recoil collection in helium gas, cold fusion and hot fusion reactions) to produce new isotopes of the heaviest elements from nobelium (\(\mathrm{Z} = 102\)) up to \(\mathrm{Z} = 118\). Elements 113, 115, 117 and 118 were only accepted as new elements by the IUPAC-IUPAP Joint Working Party at the end of 2015.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. 98, 1518 (1955)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Discovery and Assignment of Elements with Atomic Numbers 113, 115, 117 and 118, press release, 30 Dec 2015

    Google Scholar 

  3. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 1, 18 (1958)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. R.J. Silva et al., Nucl. Phys. A 216, 97 (1973)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. E.D. Donets, V.A. Shchegolev, V.A. Ermakov, Sov. At. Energy 14, 540 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  6. E.D. Donets, V.A. Shchegolev, V.A. Ermakov, Sov. At. Energy 19, 995 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. E.D. Donets, V.A. Shchegolev, V.A. Ermakov, Sov. At. Energy 20, 257 (1966)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. B.A. Zager et al., Sov. At. Energy 20, 264 (1966)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. V.L. Mikheev et al., Sov. At. Energy 22, 93 (1967)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. V.A. Druin et al., Sov. At. Energy 22, 135 (1967)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. A. Ghiorso, T. Sikkeland, M.J. Nurmia, Phys. Rev. Lett. 18, 401 (1967)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 22, 1317 (1969)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. V.A. Druin, Sov. J. Nucl. Phys. 12, 146 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  14. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 24, 1498 (1970)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Lett. B 32, 95 (1970)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. G.N. Flerov et al., Sov. At. Energy 29, 967 (1970)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. K. Eskola et al., Phys. Rev. C 4, 632 (1971)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. C 4, 1850 (1971)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Yu. Ts, Oganessian et al., Sov. At. Energy 38, 492 (1975)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 33, 1490 (1974)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. A.G. Demin et al., Z. Phys. A 315, 197 (1984)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. L.P. Somerville et al., Phys. Rev. C 31, 1801 (1985)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. E.K. Hulet et al., Phys. Rev. C 40, 770 (1989)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. J.V. Kratz et al., Phys. Rev. C 45, 1064 (1992)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. P.A. Wilk et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2697 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Z.G. Gan et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 10, 21 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. J.V. Kratz et al., Radiochim. Acta 91, 59 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Z.G. Gan et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 20, 385 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. J. Dvorak et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 242501 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. J. Dvorak et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 132503 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. P.R. Fields et al., Phys. Rev. 107, 1460 (1957)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. G.N. Flerov et al., Sov. Phys. Dokl. 3, 546 (1958)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. R.C. Barber et al., Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 29, 453 (1992)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Transfermium Working Group, Pure Appl. Chem. 65, 1757 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Commission on Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry, Pure Appl. Chem. 69, 2471 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Summary of Actions at the 39th IUPAC Council Meeting. Geneva, Switzerland, http://old.iupac.org/news/archives/1997/councils.html. Accessed 29–30 Aug 1997

  37. IUPAC Adopts Final Recommendations for Names of Transfermium Elements, http://old.iupac.org/news/archives/1997/august97.html

  38. Element Names, news release. J. Chem. Educ. 74, 1258 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  39. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 6, 473 (1961)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. I. Zvara et al., Radiokhimiya 11, 163 (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  41. I. Zvara et al., J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 32, 1885 (1970)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Commission on Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry, Pure Appl. Chem. 66, 2419 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Y.T. Oganessian et al., JETP Lett. 20, 265 (1974)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 322, 227 (1985)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 300, 107 (1981)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 309, 89 (1982)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. F.P. Heßberger et al., Z. Phys. A 322, 557 (1985)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 333, 163 (1989)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. S. Hofmann et al., Z. Phys. A 350, 281 (1995)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. F.P. Heßberger et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 12, 57 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. K. Morita et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 73, 2593 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  52. S.L. Nelson et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 022501 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 317, 235 (1984)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 324, 489 (1986)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  55. Yu.A. Lazarev et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 624 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  56. S. Hofmann et al., Z. Phys. A 350, 277 (1995)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  57. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. C 51, R2293 (1995)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  58. Yu.A. Lazarev et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 1903 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  59. Yu.A. Lazarev et al., Phys. Rev. C 54, 620 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  60. S. Hofmann et al., Z. Phys. A 354, 229 (1996)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  61. F.P. Heßberger et al., Z. Phys. A 359, 415 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. S. Hofmann et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 10, 5 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  63. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 64, 054606 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  64. K.E. Gregorich et al., Phys. Rev. C 74, 044611 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  65. I. Dragojevic et al., Phys. Rev. C 79, 011602 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  66. K. Nishio et al., Phys. Rev. C 82, 024611 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  67. P. Armbruster et al., Responses on the report “Discovery of the Transfermium Elements”. Pure Appl. Chem. 65, 1815 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  68. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Nucl. Phys. A 273, 505 (1976)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  69. F.P. Heßberger et al., J. Less-Common Met. 122, 445 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. P.J. Karol et al., Pure Appl. Chem. 75, 1601 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. J. Corish, G.M. Rosenblatt, Pure Appl. Chem. 76, 2101 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  72. K. Morita et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 76, 045001 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  73. K. Morita et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 81, 103201 (2012)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  74. R.C. Barber et al., Pure Appl. Chem. 83, 1485 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  75. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Z. Phys. A 319, 215 (1984)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  76. P.J. Karol et al., Pure Appl. Chem. 73, 959 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  77. J. Corish, G.M. Rosenblatt, Pure Appl. Chem. 75, 1613 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  78. S. Hofmann et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 14, 147 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  79. S. Hofmann et al., GSI Nachrichten 11–94 Nov. 1994 and to be published

    Google Scholar 

  80. S. Hofmann, Rep. Prog. Phys. 61, 639 (1998)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  81. R.C. Barber et al., Pure Appl. Chem. 81, 1331 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. A. Marinov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 2209 (1984)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  83. K. Tatsumi, J. Corish, Pure Appl. Chem. 82, 753 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  84. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 69, 021601 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  85. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 76, 011601 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  86. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 142502 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  87. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 87, 014302 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  88. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 87, 054621 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  89. J. Khuyagbaatar et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 172501 (2014)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  90. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 69, 054607 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  91. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 70, 064609 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  92. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 74, 044602 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  93. Ch.E. Düllmann et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 252701 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  94. P.A. Ellison et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 182701 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  95. V.K. Utyonkov et al., Phys. Rev. C 92, 034609 (2015)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  96. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 62, 041604 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  97. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. At. Nuclei 63, 1679 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  98. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 63, 011301 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  99. Y.T. Oganessian, V.K. Utyonkov, K.J. Moody, Phys. At. Nuclei 64, 1349 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  100. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 15, 201 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  101. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Nature 400, 242 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  102. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3154 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  103. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 5, 63 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  104. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 19, 3 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  105. S. Hofmann et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 32, 251 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  106. Y.T. Oganessian et al., J. Phys. G 34, R165 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  107. R.D. Loss, J. Corish, Pure Appl. Chem. 84, 1669 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  108. Y.T. Oganessian et al., JINR Communications D7-2002-287 (2002); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Report UCRL-ID-151619 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  109. Y.T. Oganessian et al., Nucl. Phys. A 734, 109 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  110. V. Ninov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1104 (1999)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  111. V. Ninov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 039901 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Michael Thoennessen

Authors
  1. Michael Thoennessen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Thoennessen .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Thoennessen, M. (2016). Superheavy Elements. In: The Discovery of Isotopes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31763-2_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation