A New Element on the Periodic Table Might Be Within Reach

To extend the periodic table, it appears to be time to use titanium. Recent advancements have paved the way for exploring element 120, achieved by bombarding electrically charged titanium atoms—or ions—into a californium target. This new element, if successfully produced, would have an atomic nucleus of 120 protons, fitting into a fresh row of the periodic table, ScienceNews reported.

In a foundational experiment, researchers created livermorium (element 116) using titanium for the first time by directing a titanium ion beam onto a plutonium target. Over 22 days of investigation, two livermorium atoms were identified, as reported on July 23 at the Nuclear Structure 2024 meeting in Lemont, Illinois. A similar methodology aimed at producing element 120 is expected to take around ten times longer.

The current periodic table includes 118 elements (SN: 11/30/16). Notably, the five heaviest elements were synthesized using a calcium-48 beam. This isotope of calcium, harboring 28 neutrons, facilitated creating these various heavy elements by altering the target element. A target with more protons leads to an element further along the periodic table.

However, this strategy has become impractical due to targets being radioactive and short-lived, noted Jacklyn Gates, a nuclear scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, during her presentation at the meeting. Consequently, the transition to titanium-50 beams is imminent, which supports the search for new elements with more viable targets. Since the target material for element 120 is easier to manipulate than that for 119, the latter is being bypassed. "To push beyond our current knowledge of the periodic table, a new approach for creating heavy elements is essential," Gates stated.

This advance signifies a significant stride in our understanding of chemical elements, potentially welcoming a new chapter in nuclear science research.

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