Isotopes are atoms with the same number

of protons but that have a different number

of neutrons. Since the atomic number is
equal to the number of protons and the
atomic mass is the sum of protons and
neutrons, we can also say that isotopes are
elements with the same atomic number but
different mass numbers.Jul 2, 2015

What is an isotope in chemistry?

One of two or more atoms that have the
same atomic number (the same number
of protons) but a different number
of neutrons. Carbon 12, the most common
form of carbon, has six protons and
six neutrons, whereas carbon 14 has
six protons and eight neutrons. Isotopes of
a given element typically behave alike
chemically.

How do you find the isotope of an

element?
Chemical properties of elements are
primarily determined by the electrons but not
by the neutrons. Therefore, the isotopes of
the same element have similar chemical
behavior. (a) The atomic number is 17, so
there are 17 protons and 17 electrons. The
mass number is 35, so there are 18 (=35-17)
neutrons.

What is an example of an isotope?

The number of nucleons (both protons and
neutrons) in the nucleus is the atom's mass
number, and each isotope of a given
element has a different mass number.
For example, carbon-12, carbon-13 and
carbon-14 are three isotopes of the element
carbon with mass numbers 12, 13 and 14
respectively.

Atomic number, mass

number and isotopes. Atoms contain
protons, neutrons and electrons. The
electrons are arranged in shells around the
nucleus. The periodic table is a chart of all
the elements arranged in increasing atomic
number.

Atomic number, atomic mass, and

isotopes
Fundamental properties of atoms including
atomic number and atomic mass. The atomic
number is the number of protons in an atom,
and isotopes have the same atomic number
but differ in the number of neutrons.
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Introduction

Radioactivity pops up fairly

often in the news. For instance,
you might have read about it in
discussions of nuclear energy,
the Fukushima reactor tragedy,
or the development of nuclear
weapons. It also shows up in
popular culture: many
superheroes origin stories
involve radiation exposure, for
instanceor, in the case of
Spider-Man, a bite from a
radioactive spider. But what

exactly does it mean for

something to be radioactive?
Radioactivity is actually a
property of an atom.
Radioactive atoms have
unstable nuclei, and they will
eventually release subatomic
particles to become more
stable, giving off energy
radiationin the process.
Often, elements come in both
radioactive and nonradioactive
versions that differ in the
number of neutrons they

contain. These different

versions of elements are called
isotopes, and small quantities
of radioactive isotopes often
occur in nature. For instance, a
small amount of carbon exists
in the atmosphere as
radioactive carbon-14, and the
amount of carbon-14 found in
fossils allows paleontologists to
determine their age.
In this article, well look in
more detail at the subatomic
particles that different atoms

contain as well as what makes

an isotope radioactive.

Atomic number,
atomic mass, and
relative atomic mass
Atoms of each element contain
a characteristic number of
protons. In fact, the number of
protons determines what atom
we are looking at (e.g., all
atoms with six protons are
carbon atoms); the number of
protons in an atom is called
the atomic number. In

contrast, the number of

neutrons for a given element
can vary. Forms of the same
atom that differ only in their
number of neutrons are
called isotopes. Together, the
number of protons and the
number of neutrons determine
an elements mass number:
mass number = protons +
neutrons. If you want to
calculate how many neutrons
an atom has, you can simply
subtract the number of

protons, or atomic number,

from the mass number.
A property closely related to an
atoms mass number is
its atomic mass. The atomic
mass of a single atom is simply
its total mass and is typically
expressed in atomic mass units
or amu. By definition, an atom
of carbon with six neutrons,
carbon-12, has an atomic mass
of 12 amu. Other atoms dont
generally have round-number
atomic masses for reasons that

are a little beyond the scope of

this article. In general, though,
an atom's atomic mass will be
very close to its mass number,
but will have some deviation in
the decimal places.
Since an elements isotopes
have different atomic masses,
scientists may also determine
the relative atomic mass
sometimes called the atomic
weightfor an element. The
relative atomic mass is an
average of the atomic masses

of all the different isotopes in a

sample, with each isotope's
contribution to the average
determined by how big a
fraction of the sample it makes
up. The relative atomic masses
given in periodic table entries
like the one for hydrogen,
beloware calculated for all
the naturally occurring
isotopes of each element,
weighted by the abundance of
those isotopes on earth.
Extraterrestrial objects, like

asteroids or meteors, might

have very different isotope
abundances.

Image showing the "anatomy"

of a periodic table entry. At the
upper left is the atomic
number, or number of protons.
In the middle is the letter
symbol for the element (e.g.,
H). Below is the relative atomic
mass, as calculated for the

isotopes found naturally on

Earth. At the very bottom is the
name of the element (e.g.,
hydrogen).
Image credit: modified from OpenStax CNX
Biology

Isotopes and
radioactive decay
As mentioned above, isotopes
are different forms of an
element that have the same
number of protons but different
numbers of neutrons. Many
elementssuch as carbon,

potassium, and uraniumhave

multiple naturally occurring
isotopes. Carbon-12 contains
six protons, six neutrons, and
six electrons; therefore, it has
a mass number of 12 (six
protons plus six neutrons).
Carbon-14 contains six
protons, eight neutrons, and
six electrons; its mass number
is 14 (six protons plus eight
neutrons). These two alternate
forms of carbon are isotopes.

Some isotopes are stable, but

others can emit, or kick out,
subatomic particles to reach a
more stable, lower-energy,
configuration. Such isotopes
are calledradioisotopes, and
the process in which they
release particles and energy is
known as decay. Radioactive
decay can cause a change in
the number of protons in the
nucleus; when this happens,
the identity of the atom

changes (e.g., carbon-14

decaying to nitrogen-14).
Radioactive decay is a random
but exponential process, and
an isotopes half-life is the
period over which half of the
material will decay to a
different, relatively stable
product. The ratio of the
original isotope to its decay
product and to stable isotopes
changes in a predictable way;
this predictability allows the
relative abundance of the

isotope to be used as a clock

that measures the time from
the incorporation of the isotope
(e.g., into a fossil) to the
present.

Graph of radioactive decay of

carbon-14. The amount of

carbon-14 decreases
exponentially with time. The
time at which half of the
original carbon-14 has decayed
and half still remainsis
designated as t 1/2. This time
is also known as the half-life of
the radioisotope and, for
carbon-14, is equal to 5730
years.
Image credit: modified from CK-12 Biology

For example, carbon is

normally present in the
atmosphere in the form of

gases like carbon dioxide, and

it exists in three isotopic forms:
carbon-12 and carbon-13,
which are stable, and carbon14, which is radioactive. These
forms of carbon are found in
the atmosphere in relatively
constant proportions, with
carbon-12 as the major form at
about 99%, carbon-13 as a
minor form at about 1%, and
carbon-14 present only in tiny
amounts^11start superscript,
1, end superscript. As plants

pull carbon dioxide from the air

to make sugars, the relative
amount of carbon-14 in their
tissues will be equal to the
concentration of carbon-14 in
the atmosphere. As animals
eat the plants, or eat other
animals that ate plants, the
concentrations of carbon-14 in
their bodies will also match the
atmospheric concentration.
When an organism dies, it
stops taking in carbon-14, so
the ratio of carbon-14 to

carbon-12 in its remains, such

as fossilized bones, will decline
as carbon-14 decays gradually
to nitrogen-14^22start
superscript, 2, end superscript.
After a half-life of
approximately 5,730 years,
half of the carbon-14 that was
initially present will have been
converted to nitrogen-14. This
property can be used to date
formerly living objects such as
old bones or wood. By
comparing the ratio of carbon-

14 to carbon-12 concentrations
in an object to the same ratio
in the atmosphere, equivalent
to the starting concentration
for the object, the fraction of
the isotope that has not yet
decayed can be determined.
On the basis of this fraction,
the age of the material can be
calculated with accuracy if it is
not much older than about
50,000 years. Other elements
have isotopes with different
half lives, and can thus be

used to measure age on

different timescales. For
example, potassium-40 has a
half-life of 1.25 billion years,
and uranium-235 has a half-life
of about 700 million years and
has been used to measure the
age of moon rocks^22start
superscript, 2, end superscript.
[Attribution and references]

1.
2.

Ask a question

Questions
Tips & Thanks
Top Recent
Is there any simplest explanation about how
half-life of an isotope can be used to determine
the age of fossils?
29 votes
1 comment Flagkemala.ang's comment
about a year ago by
View profile
for:kemala.ang
First, not all fossils can be dated. Certain
conditions have to be met.
Carbon-14 is not usable for nearly all fossils
because there isn't enough carbon-14 to make
the dating work much past 40 thousand years

(though in special cases and the best

equipment, we can stretch that out to about 60
thousand years).
Most radiometric dating is done IF there are
present special crystals (such as zircons) for
which a number of conditions which taken
together allow us to know the initial ratios of
the (readmoreof this comment)

Neutral atoms have the same number of

electrons and protons. Atoms of an element
that contain different numbers of neutrons
are calledisotopes. Each isotope of a given
element has the same atomic number but a
different mass number (A), which is the
sum of thenumbers of protons and
neutrons.

What is the relationship

between an element isotopes
and the elements atomic
mass?
Best Answer: The smaller the number after the
isotope the smaller its atomic mass. The larger the
number after the isotope the larger its atomic mass. For
example: almost all carbon is carbon12, but there are
small amounts of carbon13 and radioactive carbon.
Carbon 12 has an atomic mass of 12. Carbon 13 has
an atomic mass of 13. Carbon 14 has an atomic mass
of 14.

What is the relationship

between the atomic number,
mass and isotopes?
Best Answer: -the atomic number of every isotope of
an element is the same. this is because if an atom
loses or gains protons, then it becomes a new element.
the number of protons for an element is constant
- the mass will be different between different isotopes
because isotopes have different numbers of neutrons.
neutrons and protons factor into the mass of an atom.
-also, the atomic mass of an element is an average of
all an element's isotopes' masses with their
abundances factored in. so that means that the isotope
thats mass number is closest to the atomic mass of it's
element is the most abundent.

What is the relationship

between atomic number and
atomic mass number?
Best Answer: The atomic number is the number of
protons (+ve charged things) in an atom. The relative
atomic mass (the atomic mass number) is the number
of both neutrons and protons in an atom.
Take lithium as an example; it has an atomic number of
3, and a relative atomic mass of 7. This means there
are 3 protons, and 4 neutrons in the nucleus of the
atom.

Determine the relationship

between atomic mass and
the relative abundance of
isotopes.?
and also.
1. Describe the reactivity of an atom in terms of its
valence electron.
2.Discuss the concept of energy absorb by electrons as
they go to the higher energy level
3. Describe the reactivity of n atom in terms of its
valence electron.
Best Answer: The mass given on the periodic table is
a weighted average of all the known isotopes. It is
weighted by relative abundance of each isotope. If you
take the given mass and round it off to the nearest
whole number, that is the mass of the isotope in
greatest abundance.

What is the difference

between an atom and
isotope?
Best Answer: An atom is an isotope of a particular
element. Isotopes are atoms of an element that have
different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. For
example : the element hydrogen has 3 different
isotopes - simple hydrogen has one proton in its
nucleus that is orbited by one electron. The second
isotope is called deuterium - it has one neutron and one
proton in it's nucleus orbited by one electron. The third
isotope is tritium - it has two neutrons and one proton in
its nucleus orbited by one electron. By the way
hydrogen is the only element with different names
assigned to it's isotopes.
The different isotopes all react chemically in the same

manner. Some isotopes of an element may be

radioactive and undergo radioactive decay forming
other elements releasing energy. The isotopes will have
different masses and therefore properties that depend
upon mass (density) will be different

Which elements have isotopes with the

same number of protons and neutrons?
For example, carbon's atomic number (Z) is
6 because it has 6 protons. The number of
neutrons can vary to produce isotopes,
which are atoms of the same element that
have different numbers of neutrons. The
number ofelectrons can also vary
across atoms of one element.
See all
245 Citations
See all
27 References

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Synthesis of a New Element with Atomic Number Z=117

Article (PDF Available)inPhysical Review

Letters 104(14):142502 April 2010with2,117 Reads
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.142502 Source: PubMed

1st Yu. Ts. Oganessian

46.54 Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

2nd F Sh Abdullin
+ 29

3rd P D Bailey

Last Philip Wilk

33.93 U.S. Department of Energy
Show more authors
Abstract
The discovery of a new chemical element with atomic
number Z=117 is reported. The isotopes (293)117 and
(294)117 were produced in fusion reactions between (48)Ca
and (249)Bk. Decay chains involving 11 new nuclei were
identified by means of the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator.
The measured decay properties show a strong rise of
stability for heavier isotopes with Z > or = 111, validating the

concept of the long sought island of enhanced stability for

superheavy nuclei.
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Available from: Mark Alan Stoyer

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Synthesis
a
New
of
with
Element
Atomic
Number
Z
117

1,
Yu.
Ts.
Oganessian,
1
*Abdullin,
F.
Sh.
2
P.
D.
Bailey,
2
D.
E.
Benker,
3
M.
E.
Bennett,
1
S.
N.
Dmitriev,
2
J.
G.
Ezold,
4
J.
H.
Hamilton,
5
R.
A.
Henderson,
1
M.
G.
Itkis,
1
Yu.
V.
Lobanov,
1
A.
Mezentsev,
N.
5
K.
5 J. Moody,

S. L. Nelson,

1
A.
N.
Polyakov,
2
C.
E.
Porter,
4
A.
V.
Ramayya,
2
F.
D.
Riley,
2
J.
B.
Roberto,
6
M.
A.
Ryabinin,
2
K.
P.
Rykaczewski,
1
R.
N.
Sagaidak,
5
D.
Shaughnessy,
A.
1
I.
V.
Shirokovsky,
5
M.
A.
Stoyer,
1
V.
G.
Subbotin,
3
R.
Sudowe,
1
A.
M.
Sukhov,
1
Yu.
Tsyganov,
S.
1
V.
K.
Utyonkov,
1
A.
A.
Voinov,
1
G.
K.
Vostokin,
5
1
and P. A. Wilk
2
Joint
Nuclear
Institute
for
Research,
141980
Dubna,
RUFederation
Russian
3
Oak
Ridge
Laboratory,
National
Oak
Tennessee
Ridge,
37831,
USA
4
University
Nevada
Las
of
Vegas,
Las
Nevada
89154,
USA
5
Department
Physics
and
of
Vanderbilt
Astronomy,
Nashville,
University,
37235,
Tennessee
USA
6
Lawrence
National
Livemore
Livermore,
Laboratory,
94551, USA
California

Research
Institute
Atomic
of
433510
Reactors,
RURussian
Dimitrovgrad,
Federation
293
(Received
15
March
published
2010;
9
April
2010)
294
48
249
The
discovery
of
a
element
new
chemical
with
atomic
Z

117
number
is
reported.
The
isotopes
117
produced
in
fusion
reactions
Decay
chains
involving
new
11
and
117
were
between
Ca
Bk.
nuclei
identified
were
by
means
Dubna
gas-filled
of
the
recoil
The
measured
separator.
decay
properties
show
a
strong
rise
for
heavier
of
stability
isotopes
with
validating
concept
of
the
the
long
sought
Z

111,
island
of
stability
enhanced
for
nuclei.
superheavy
10.1103/PhysRevL
DOI:
PACS
ett.104.142502
numbers:
23.60.+e,
27.90.+b,
24.60.Dr,
25.70.Jj
The
existence
of
atomic
the
heaviest
nuclei
bound

against
disintegration
immediate
the
depends
detailed
on
properties
proton
and
of
quantum
neutron
states;
e.g.,
see,
[1,2]
references
and
Therefore,
therein.
studies
at
aimed
identification
the
of
superheavy
new
contribute
elements
to
fundamental
knowledge
nuclear
of
potentials
and
resulting
structure.
concept
ofThe
an
island
of

208
existing
the
next
near
doubly
spherical
magic
heavier
nucleus
than
every
model
advanced
Pb
arises
in
of
structure.
nuclear
involving
Reactions
doubly
magic
64
70
208
209
projectiles
neutron-rich
as
heavy
or
Zn
as
have
Ni
been
the
synthesis
used
for
of
elements.
new
heavy

singly
Pb
and
magic
nuclei
Bi
target
and
stable
reactions,
These
termed
fusion,
led
cold
to
observation
the
of
isotopes
[3,4],
stabilized
by
with
Z

113
and
N

165
the
Z

108
shell
gaps

162
occurring
defor
shapes.
formed
The
dramatic
of
the
drop
cross
production
section
increasing
with
Z
excludes
practically
the
continuation
of
such
for
experiments
heavier
elements.
A
new
method
of
superheavy
synthesizing
elements,
and
numbers
neutron
closer
predicted
to
the
with
Z

112
spherical
closure
at
shell
N
pioneered

184,
was
at
the
Flerov
Laboratory
Nuclear
of
(FLNR)
Reactions
of
Joint
Institute
for
(JINR)
Research
about
a
decade
ago.
Four
new
isotopes
element
of
Z
14

new
112
isoand
topes
elements
of
new
with
and
118
113116
were
48
identified
among
the
[1]
products
heavy-ion
of
fusion
reactions
doubly
employing
magic
projectiles
and
Ca
radioactive
actinide
targets
Cm
and
of
Cf,
Urespectively.
The
sequential
the
heaviest
even-Z
were
nuclei

decays
of
found
terminated
to
be
by
fission
spontaneous
(SF)
of
descendant
even-even
even-odd
or
nuclei
Z

114,
with
112,
or
110
with
decay
total
times
in
the
range
(T

T
),

SF
of
about
0.1
s
to
depending
1
min
on
number
neutron
[1].
probabilities
The
of
formation
the
decay
and
properties
of
these
18
new
nuclei
evidence
provide
of
a
considerable
increase
in
stability
nuclear
with
neutron
increasing
number
nucleus.
in
the
The
cross
production
sections,
the
identification,
as
well
decay
as
the
properties
Z

112
of
and
isotopes
Z

114
obtained
Dubna
[1]
at
were
recently
confirmed
in
independent
several
[58].
experiments
We
here
present
the
evidence
experimental
for
synthesis
293
294
of
a
new
element
chemical
with
Z
Fig.

1.
117;
The
see
48
identified
117
were
isotopes
produced
in
the
117
and
fusion
reaction
projectiles
and
radioactive
between
Ca
249
neutrons,
three
The
respectively.
decay
properties
the
of
resulting
new
neutron11
rich
offer
nuclides
additional
nuclei
Bk
target
followed
by
emission
the
of
four
and
experimental
support
nuclear
shell
for
the
predicting
model
249
the
of
the
existence
island
of
stability
heaviest
for
nuclei.
produced
Oak
Ridge
at
Laboratory
National
The
Bk
was
through
(ORNL)
neutron
intense
irradiation
Cm
and
Am
of
targets
approximately
for
250
High
d
Flux
in
the
Isotope
Reactor.
The
Bk
fraction,
chemical
separated
purified
and
249
252
at
Radiochemical
the
Development
Engineering
Center
at
ORNL,
contained
22.2
only
1.7
ng
of
mg
of
Bk,
Cf,
and
detectable
no
other
impurities.
arc-shaped
Six
targets,
each
with
an
area
6:0
c
of
m
2
2
Institute
of
Reactors
Atomic
RF)
(Dimitrovgrad,
by
depos249
2
BkO
iting
onto
0:74
foils
thickness
to
a
of
,
were
made
at
Research
the
mg=cm
Ti
2
0:31
targets
were
mounted
the
on
of
Bk.
The
perimeter
disk
that
was
of
a
rotated
1700
rpm
at
perpendicular
to
the
direction.
beam
The
were
experiments
peremploying
formed
the
Dubna
filled
recoil
gasseparator
[10]
and
the
cyclotron
heavy-ion
U400
detailed
at
JINR.
A
description
experiment
of
will
a
forthcoming
be
given
in
PRL
142502
104,
(2010)
week
ending
Selected
Viewpoint
Physics
9
APRIL
PE
H
YT
S
IC
A
La
R
L
E TV
I E2010
W
Rfor
Sin

(14)=142502(
9007=10=104
4) 142502-1

2010 The
American
Physical
Society

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we
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released
in
the
SF
of
nuclei
determined
was
with
Z

102
from
E

the
23
MeV,
sum
where
the
observed
E
is
tot
tot
energy
(with
a
signal
uncertainty
systematic
of
about
5
MeV
when
both
fragments
fission
were
and
detected)
23
correction
MeV
is
related
pulse
height
to
the
effect
252
and
energy
loss
dead
in
layer
the
detector
determined
as
measurement.
The
resolution
position
from
a
No
(FWHM)
strip
detector
of
the
in
correlated
registering
decay
chains
was
of
the
ER-

-
-SF
type
1:2
m
m
.
1
2
3
In
order
to
reduce
background
the
rate
detector,
in
the
the
beam
switched
was
off
for
min
at
after
least
a
3
recoil
signal
was
detected
parameters
with
of
enimplantation
ergy
for
Z
expected

117
ERs,
followed
by
an
-like
signal
energy
with
an
between
and
11.4
10.7
MeV,
in
the
48
same
strip,
within
mm
wide
a
2.2
window.
position
For
249
projectiles
at
252
energy
MeV
in
the
middle
of
297

the
Ca
target,
excitation
the
compound
Bk
is
estimated
to
MeV,
near
the
nucleus
117
be
E

39
maximum
expected
for
the
cross
total
section
ER
(sum
of
3
n
and
4
n
channels
evaporation
[1]).
The
of
the
intensity
48
12
Irradiation
this
beam
at
energy
performed
was
for
70
d
19
between
July
27
October
and
23,
2009,
total
beam
with
a
Ca-ion
beam
ions=s

at
the
target.
was
7
10
dose
of
The
interrupted
beam
was
for
a
total
2:4

10
.
beam-off
time
energy
79
h.
spectra
The
of
the
-like
signals
registered
the
front
by
during
detector
all
1680
h
of
irradiation
and
those
only
in
off
the
beamintervals
presented
are
in
Fig.
background
2(a).
The
in
the
beam-off
spectrum
due
to
the
is
decay
isotopes
of
that
Po
are
of
the
daughters
heavier
produced
nuclei
in
transfer
48
reactions.
We
observed
positionfive
decay
correlated
chains
in
the
irradiation;
each
case,
in
252-MeV
Ca
two
or
three
between
observed
the
time
of

decays
were
293
arrival
of
the
ER
detection
and
the
of
SF
(see
the
Fig.
1
for
decay
averaged
assigned
properties
to
isotope).
All
FIG.
Energy
2
(color).
spectra
recorded
the
252
MeV
during
117
48

249
signals
and
beam-off
Total
beam-on
-like

particles.
fission-fragment
energy
both
beam
spectra,
on(b)
and
beam
off.

Ca

Bk
run
(a)
Total
energy
spectra
of
The
arrows
show
the
events
energies
observed
of
in
the
corre(E
39
MeV).
lated
decay
chains;
1.
see
Fig.
from
FIG.
Observed
1
(color).
decay
interpreted
chains
as
originating
the
isotopes
294
(single
event)
A

293
and
(average
events)
of
of
the
five
new
Z
117.
element
The
deduced
predicted
and
[9]
lifetimes
and
(

T
=
ln2)
1=2
energies
shown
in
are
black
respectively.
blue,
-particle
week
ending
PRL
142502
(2010)
P
R
H
E TV
Y104,
I EI C
W
A
L
E
TS
R
SL

9
APRIL
2010
142502-2

five
of
the
first
emitted
after
the
implantation
of

particles
recoils
have
energies
the
same
(within
energy
the
resolution
the
focal-plane
of
yielding
detector),
average
values
for
the
E

11:03
and
energy

0:08
MeV

T
1411;
energies
of
the
4
ms.
The
particles

emitted
daughter
by
the
nuclei
detected
and
in
three
out
of
1 chains
five
were
within
the
the
same
accuracy
the
1
,was
measurements
resulting
in
E

10:31
and

0:09
MeV

T
0:220
The
third
:26;
0:08
s.
transition

observed
having
as
E

9:74
and
E

0:08
MeV
2

MeV,
T
and
5:55:
all
9:48

0:11
0;
1:8
s.
In
2

five
decay
cases
chains
the
ended
spontaneous
with
the

3
3
fission
T
s.

2625;
8
3
SF
MeV
energy,
excitation
the
maximum
At
the
E

39
cross
section
is
the
expected
4
n
for
channel;
evaporation
293
therefore
assign
the
we
decay
observed
chains
as
originat
ing
from
the
This
conclusion
supported
is
isotope
117.
by
systematics
the
of
the
sections
cross
ured
48

meas
previously
production
for
of
isotopes
superheavy
of
nuclei
xn
with
Z

108,
112116,
and
reactions
induced
249
48
118
in
Ca[1],
calculations
by
made
for
the
directly
evaporation
249
48
residues
of
the
as
well
as
reaction

Ca
[1214]
Bk
by
the
result
performed
experiment
at
of
the
Bk
lower
energy
beam
(see
below).
E
energy
In
the
range

between
8.8
and
where
11.3
we
MeV,
expect

particles
of
the
first
five
117
!transitions
111
115
!
!
113
!
3
109
counting
107,
rate
the
0:17=s
was
(with
beam
on)
and
m
off)
for
the
whole
the
front
area
of
10
=s
(bea
Similar
detector.
spectra
of
fragmentlike
fission
signals
measured
under
same
the
conditions
shown
in
are
4
Fig.
energy
2(b).
In
range
E
the
SF

135
MeV,
5
SF
counting
rate
in
detector
the
front
was
s
1:2

10
=(
(7beam
on)
and
beam
have
off).
We
calculated
10
=s

numbers
random
of
[15]
sequences
imitating
each
of
the
observed
decay
chains,
five
by
extended
using
intervals
time
of
energy
poand
(t
-particle

5T
),
6
3
11
5
11
1=2
sition
exceeding
(both
4.7
deviations),
standard
to
be
6

48
19
10
,
10
,
and
,
3

10
3

10
.
The
was
experiment
continued
energy
of
at
a
Ca
247
70
d
MeV
with
for
a
total
dose
beam
of
2

10
.
The
resulting
energy
excitation
of
the
nucleus
compound
297
nel.
A
new
decay
was
detected
chain
involving
consix
secutive
ending
see
Fig.
in
1.
SF;
In
this

decays
and
117
was
about
favoring
35
the
MeV,
3
n
chanreaction
chain,
the
granddaughter
greatnucleus
Z

111
with
did
not
SF,
but
undergo
instead
emitted
an

particle
with
E
MeV.

It
9:00
was
followed
least
two
by
more
at

tsequences
ransitions
and
then,
about
after
33
h,
the
event
fission
was
recorded.
total
number
The
for
random
[15]
11
4
imitating
the
decay
observed
chain
amounts
to
6

294
Therefore,
we
assign
chain
to
this
the
of
the
249
10
.
neighboring
nucleus
odd-odd
that
this
decay
117.
Note
chain
registered
was
when
about
decayed
to
30%
of
Bk
249
294
unlikely
the
small
due
to
yield
production
and
significantly
293
different
decay
properties.
294
289
290
Attributing
Cf.
it
to
the
118
decay
nucle
of
us
is
The
decay
properties
the
of
isotopes
neighboring
285
286
117
their
115
and
as
and
117,
daughters
115,
as
well
granddaughter
substandisplay
s
113,
113
do
and
not
differences.
tial
These
properties
decay
change
significantly
for
the
granddaughter
greatnuclei.
the
Despite
hindrance
strong
resulting
relatively
in
long
the
half-life,
SF
is
a
decay
principal
mode
of
the
nucleus
odd-even
281
282
281
explained
comparing
by
the
results
present
of
experithe
111
(see
Fig.
other
1).
hand,
On
the
the
isotope
heavier
ment
properties
with
of
neighboring
even-Z
nuclei.
undergoes

SF
decay
of
can
be
decay.
The
In
the
T
atics,
N
the
system
decrease
the
half-life
in
with
SF
increasing
number
neutron
in
the
region
nuclei
with
of
N
changes
>
162
to
a
increase
strong
in
stability
as
N
approaches
the
shell
spherical
at

184
[16].
Minimum
values
are
of
T
of
characteristic
the
transition
SF
region
N
where

168170
the
effect
nuclear
of
shells
is
at
a
minimum.
Indeed,
Z

110
the
isotopes
darmstadtium
with
and
N
N

171,
169
as
well
112,
as
N
the

170,
N

172
and
isotopes,
copernicium
undergo
SF
237
48
48
243
rather
than
For
the
oddZ
produced
nuclei

decay
[1].
in
reactions
the
high
and
Np

Am
Ca

Ca,
the
hindrance
SF
for
nuclei
of
with
number
an
odd
of
protons
and
the
relatively
T
for
the
low
isotopes
elements
of
113

115
169173
with
result
preference
in
a
for

d
ecay
[17,18].
fission
Spontaneous
is
observed
in
the
only
5
268
249
48
isotopes
element
105,
of
where
the
life
ex
decay
halfceeds
293
294
10
Db.
s
for
In
the
reaction

Ca,
the
Bk
nuclei
daughter
that
originate
the
from
resievaporation
have
two
extra
one
or
neutrons
dues
and
117
117
compared
with
produced
those
in
the
Z
reactions.
lowerA
approach
closer
to
N

shell
184
at
should
in
a
result
decrease
their
decay
in
Q
energy
and
an
increase
in
T

with
respect
to
neighboring
the
isotopes
lighter
at
the
same
Z.
This
regularity
clearly
is
experimentally
observed
for
all
the
isotopes
see
Fig.
3.
In
analogy
with
with
Z

111;
293
294
evenneighboring
Z
isotopes,
nuclei
in
all
decay
281
chains
of
117
with
>
111
and
N

172
are
117
and
expected
undergo
to
111
(N

decay.
The
nucleus
170)
lies
in
the
region,
critical
and
may
only
avoid
SF
because
hindrance
of
resulting
an
odd proton.
from

4
282
281
hindrance
of
respect
evento
its
3

10
with
even
neighbor
undergoes
SF
112
[1],
the
isotope
111
with
probability
a
b
Accordingly,
the
high

83%.
SF
hindrance
caused
odd
proton
by
the
does
save
not
the
nucleus
SF
because
from
of
the
of
the
weakening
stabilizing
neutron
effect
shells
of
N

184.
162
and
The
282
presence
extra
and
of
an
unpaired
in
the
neighboring
isotope
hinders
SF
relative
to

111
further
d
nucleus.
ecay
of
In
this
Figs.
3(b),
3(a)
the
and
experimental
values
of
energies
decay
Q
lives
and
T
halfare

presented
isotopes
with
for
Z
115,

111,
and
117.
113,
Increasing
neutron
number
heaviest
in
the
nuclides
results
in
a
decrease
Q
and
a
of
increase
considerable
in
281

T
especially
.
An
strong
of
T
N
growth
is
observed
for

the
isotopes
of
elements
and
113.
111
Except
for
111,
all
week
ending
presented
nuclides
in
Fig.
3
are
them
T

emitters;
for

9
APRIL
2010
PRL
104,
142502
P
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S
I
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(2010)
A
L
R
L
E
E
T
V
T
I
E
W
R
S
142502-3

is
T
smaller
.
This
is
than
indication
another
of
the
high
SF
stability
of
the
nuclei
superheavy
with
respect
From
to
SF.
experimental
the
and
theoretical
energies
given
-particle
in
Fig.
1,
it
is
obvious
for
all
the
that
nuclei
decay
in
the
chains
isotopes
of
of
the
element
the
117,
macroscopicmicroscopic
calculations
masses
of
of
superheavy
nuclei
in
a
good
[9]
are
with
agreement
our
experiment.
249
48
The
cross
sections
producing
for
the
element
of
117

in
the
reaction
are

0:51:1;
0:4
pb
Bk

Ca
and
0:6
1:31:5;
at
E

E
35

MeV
39
respectively.
MeV,
These
are
similar
values
to
the
233;238
242;244
237
24
3
245;248
results
of
experiments
previous
where
sections
cross
for
249
48
the
reactions
Cm,
of
,
Np,
Am,
Pu,
Ca
beams
have
measured
been
[1].
249
and
Cf
targets
with
In
a
new
conclusion,
element
chemical
with
atomic
48
U
number
117
has
synthesized
been
in
the
fusion
of
Bk
data
are
consistent
with
observation
of
and
Ca.
The
two
isotopes
of
element
with
atomic
117,
masses
293
294.
isotopes
These
undergo
E

11:038

decay
with

a
MeV
nd
10.81(10)
and
halflives
and
1411;
4
281
respectively,
ms,
giving
sequential
rise
to
78370;
36
270
chains
ending
spontaneous
in
-decay
fission
of
Rg
The
respectively.
de(T

26
s)

1
d
),
and
Db
(T
SF
cays
identified
of
11
substantially
isotopes
expand
our
SF
knowledge
of
the
of
odd-Z
properties
nuclei
in
the
region
most
isotopes
neutron-rich
of
elements
117.
105
These
generally
nuclei
display
of
increased
a
trend
stability
with
larger
number
neutron
N.
The
longer
lives
offer
halfthe
for
potential
of
investigation
the
chemistry
superof
elements
heavy
and
their
establishing
location
in
peri48
odic
table.
The
new
together
isotopes,
with
superheavy
nuclides
synthesized
previously
in
reactions
with
Ca,
present
consistent
a
picture
nuclear
of
properties
the
in
area
heaviest
of
nuclei.
demonstrate
They
critical
role
of
nuclear
shells
represent
and
an
verification
experimental
for
existence
the
of
the
island
predicted
of
stability
for
superheavy
elements.
We
are
grateful
JINR
totheir
the
and
Directorate
the
cyclotron
ion
source
and
crews
continuous
forU-400
support

We
experiment.
acknowledge
support
of
the
Russian
Agency
Federal
of
Atomic
RFBR
Grants
Energy,
00029,
07-02No.
0902-12060,
No.
09-03and
12214,
and
of
the
U.S.
Department
Energy
of
Contracts
through
00OR2272
DE-AC05(ORNL)
No.
DE-AC52and
(LLNL),
07NA27344
Grants
FG-05No.
DE(Vanderbilt
88ER40407
and
University)
No.
DEFG0701AL67358
(UNLV).
studies
were
These
performed
in
the
framework
Federation/U.S
the
Russian
.of
Joint
Coordinating
Committee
Research
on
for
Fundamental
Properties
of
Matter.
*oganessian@jin
r.ru
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ings
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FIG.
3
(color).
energy
and
(b)
half-lives
versus
(a)
-decay
neutron
number
for
of
elements
the
isotopes
with
Z

111117
48
(new
results
in
red).
nuclides
All
the
with
N
been
>
165
have
293
produced
in
reactions.
T
(exp)
values
Our
are
281
Ca
induced
given
for
the
nuclei
belonging
decay
chain

to
the
117
(5
events).
The
limit
for
estimated
the
from
T

Rg
was
measured
life
and
number
halfof
nuclei.
observed
week ending
E
9
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Citations245

References27

Effect of properties of superheavy nuclei on their production and decay

"Thus, the 282 Rg nucleus is subject to decay.

The same concluu sion was drawn in [13, 14]. Using the
binding energies, neutron separation energies, and shell
corrections calculated within the modified TCSM [145] and
the double nuclear system model [5861, 65, 150152,
156], we calculated evaporation residue cross sections at
the maxima of the excitation functions 3n = 1.5 pb, 4n =
0.2 pb and 3n = 0.3 pb, 4n = 0.05 pb for the reactions
48 Ca + 243 "

[Show abstract]
Full-text Article May 2016

G. G. Adamian
Bezbakh

N. V. Antonenko

A. N.

R. V. Jolos

Read full-text

Shape evolution and collective dynamics of quasifission in TDHF

"The creation of new elements is one of the most

novel and challenging research areas of nuclear
physics1234. The search for a region of the nuclear chart
that can sustain the so called superheavy elements (SHE)
has led to intense experimental activity resulting in the
discovery and confirmation of elements with atomic
numbers as large as Z = 117567. The theoretically predicted
island of stability in the SHE region of the nuclear chart is
the result of new proton and neutron shell-closures, whose
location is not precisely known8910 . "

[Show abstract]

Full-text Article Jun 2015

A. S. Umar

V. E. Oberacker

C. Simenel

Read full-text

In situ synthesis of volatile carbonyl complexes with short-lived nuclides

"However, no Mt isotope with a half-life in the

range of seconds has been synthesized directly in a nuclear
fusion reaction, so far. From the decay chains of element
117 synthesized in the reaction 249 Bk( 48 Ca,3n) 294 117,
the isotope 278 Mt with t 1/2 = 4.4 -1.4 ?3.6 s is known [51,
52]. No method to synthesize 278 Mt directly is known and
therefore it is not suitable for carbonyl studies with the
recently developed technique. "

[Show abstract]
Full-text Article Mar 2015

Julia Even

Dieter Ackermann

Asai+46 more authors ...

Masato

Sayaka Yamaki

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Discovery of the element with atomic number Z = 118 completing the 7th row of the
periodic table (IUPAC Technical Report)

Full-text Article Jan 2016

Paul J. Karol

Robert C. Barber

Sherrill+1 more author ...

Bradley M.

Toshimitsu Yamazaki

Read full-text

X-Ray Fluorescence from the Element with Atomic Number Z=120

Full-text Article Mar 2012

M O Frgeau
authors ...

S Barlini

D Jacquet

M Morjean+19 more

Read full-text

Synthesis of the New Element with Z=117

Full-text Article Sep 2011

J H Hamilton

Yu Ts Oganessian

Abdullin+29 more authors ...

F Sh

P A Wilk

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Article: Synthesis of the New Element with Z=117

Full-text Sep 2011 Journal of Physics Confere...

Article: Eleven new heaviest isotopes of elements Z=105 to

Z=117 identified among the products of Bk-249+Ca-4...
May 2011 Physical Review C

Article: Eleven new heaviest isotopes of elements Z = 105 to

Z = 117 identified among the products of 249Bk+4...
Jan 2011 Physical Review Letters

Article: Study of the properties of the superheavy nuclei Z =

117 produced in the 249 Bk + 48 Ca reaction
Full-text Mar 2014 The European Physical Jour...

Synthesis of a New Element with Atomic Number Z 117 Yu. Ts. Oganessian,1,* F.
Sh. Abdullin,1 P. D. Bailey,2 D. E. Benker,2 M. E. Bennett,3 S. N. Dmitriev,1 J. G.
Ezold,2 J. H. Hamilton,4 R. A. Henderson,5 M. G. Itkis,1 Yu. V. Lobanov,1 A. N.
Mezentsev,1 K. J. Moody,5 S. L. Nelson,5 A. N. Polyakov,1 C. E. Porter,2 A. V.
Ramayya,4 F. D. Riley,2 J. B. Roberto,2 M. A. Ryabinin,6 K. P. Rykaczewski,2 R. N.
Sagaidak,1 D. A. Shaughnessy,5 I. V. Shirokovsky,1 M. A. Stoyer,5 V. G. Subbotin,1 R.
Sudowe,3 A. M. Sukhov,1 Yu. S. Tsyganov,1 V. K. Utyonkov,1 A. A. Voinov,1 G. K.
Vostokin,1 and P. A. Wilk5 1 Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, RU-141980 Dubna,
Russian Federation 2 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831,
USA 3 University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA 4
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
37235, USA 5 Lawrence Livemore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551,
USA 6 Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, RU-433510 Dimitrovgrad, Russian
Federation (Received 15 March 2010; published 9 April 2010) The discovery of a
new chemical element with atomic number Z 117 is reported. The isotopes
293117 and 294117 were produced in fusion reactions between 48Ca and 249Bk.
Decay chains involving 11 new nuclei were identified by means of the Dubna gasfilled recoil separator. The measured decay properties show a strong rise of stability
for heavier isotopes with Z 111, validating the concept of the long sought island of
enhanced stability for superheavy nuclei. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.142502
PACS numbers: 27.90.+b, 23.60.+e, 24.60.Dr, 25.70.Jj The existence of the heaviest
atomic nuclei bound against immediate disintegration depends on the detailed
properties of proton and neutron quantum states; see, e.g., [1,2] and references
therein. Therefore, studies aimed at the identification of new superheavy elements
contribute to the fundamental knowledge of nuclear potentials and the resulting
nuclear structure. The concept of an island of stability existing near the next
spherical doubly magic nucleus heavier than 208Pb arises in every advanced model
of nuclear structure. Reactions involving doubly magic 208Pb and singly magic
209Bi target nuclei and stable neutron-rich projectiles as heavy as 64Ni or 70Zn
have been used for the synthesis of new heavy elements. These reactions, termed
cold fusion, led to the observation of isotopes with Z 113 and N 165 [3,4], stabilized
by the Z 108 and N 162 shell gaps occurring for deformed shapes. The
dramatic drop of the production cross section with increasing Z practically excludes
the continuation of such experiments for heavier elements. A new method of
synthesizing superheavy elements, with Z 112 and neutron numbers closer to the
predicted spherical shell closure at N 184, was pioneered at the Flerov Laboratory
of Nuclear Reactions (FLNR) of Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) about a
decade ago. Four new isotopes of element Z 112 and 14 new isotopes of new

elements with Z 113116 and 118 were identified [1] among the products of
heavy-ion fusion reactions employing doubly magic 48Ca projectiles and actinide
radioactive targets of U-Cm and Cf, respectively. The sequential decays of the
heaviest even-Z nuclei were found to be terminated by spontaneous fission (SF) of
the descendant even-even or even-odd nuclei with Z 114, 112, or 110 (T TSF),
with total decay times in the range of about 0.1 s to 1 min depending on neutron
number [1]. The probabilities of formation and the decay properties of these 18 new
nuclei provide evidence of a considerable increase in nuclear stability with
increasing neutron number in the nucleus. The production cross sections, the
identification, as well as the decay properties of the Z 112 and Z 114 isotopes
obtained at Dubna [1] were recently confirmed in several independent experiments
[58]. We present here the experimental evidence for synthesis of a new chemical
element with Z 117; see Fig. 1. The identified 293117 and 294117 isotopes were
produced in the fusion reaction between 48Ca projectiles and radioactive 249Bk
target nuclei followed by the emission of four and three neutrons, respectively. The
decay properties of the resulting 11 new neutron-rich nuclides offer additional
experimental support for the nuclear shell model predicting the existence of the
island of stability for heaviest nuclei. The 249Bk was produced at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL) through intense neutron irradiation of Cm and Am
targets for approximately 250 d in the High Flux Isotope Reactor. The Bk chemical
fraction, separated and purified at the Radiochemical Engineering Development
Center at ORNL, contained 22.2 mg of 249Bk, only 1.7 ng of 252Cf, and no other
detectable impurities. Six arc-shaped targets, each with an area of 6:0 cm2, were
made at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (Dimitrovgrad, RF) by depositing
BkO2 onto 0:74 mg=cm2 Ti foils to a thickness of 0:31 mg=cm2 of 249Bk. The
targets were mounted on the perimeter of a disk that was rotated at 1700 rpm
perpendicular to the beam direction. The experiments were performed employing
the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator [10] and the heavy-ion cyclotron U-400 at JINR.
A detailed description of experiment will be given in a forthcoming PRL 104, 142502
(2010) Selected for a Viewpoint in Physics PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS week ending
9 APRIL 2010 0031-9007=10=104(14)=142502(4) 142502-1 2010 The American
Physical Society paper [11]; here we present the basic features. Evaporation
residues (ER) passing through the separator with an overall transmission about 35%
were registered by a time-of-ight system with a detection efficiency of 99.9%, and
were implanted in a 4 cm 12 cm Si-detector array with 12 vertical position-sensitive
strips surrounded by eight 4 cm 4 cm side detectors. The position-averaged
detection efficiency for particles emitted from implanted nuclei was 87% of 4. The
energy resolution for particles implanted in the focal-plane detector measured as a
full width at half maximum (FWHM) was 60140 keV, depending on the strip and the
position within the strip. Alpha-escape signals detected in the side detectors had an
energy resolution of 160230 keV. If an particle was detected only by a side
detector (its position was lost), the total energy was estimated as a sum of the
energy measured by the side detector and half of the threshold energy (0:5 MeV),
with the uncertainty in the total energy increased to 0:4 MeV. The total kinetic

energy (TKE) released in the SF of nuclei with Z 102 was determined from the sum
Etot 23 MeV, where Etot is the observed energy signal (with a systematic
uncertainty of about 5 MeV when both fission fragments were detected) and 23 MeV
is the correction related to the pulse height effect and energy loss in the dead layer
detector as determined from a 252No measurement. The position resolution
(FWHM) of the strip detector in registering correlated decay chains of the ER-1-2-3SF type was 1:2 mm. In order to reduce the background rate in the detector, the
beam was switched off for at least 3 min after a recoil signal was detected with
parameters of implantation energy expected for Z 117 ERs, followed by an -like
signal with an energy between 10.7 and 11.4 MeV, in the same strip, within a 2.2
mm wide position window. For the 48Ca projectiles at 252 MeV energy in the middle
of the 249Bk target, the excitation energy of the compound nucleus 297117 is
estimated to be E 39 MeV, near the expected maximum for the total ER cross
section (sum of 3 n and 4 n evaporation channels [1]). The intensity of the 48Ca-ion
beam was 7 1012 ions=s at the target. Irradiation at this beam energy was
performed for 70 d between July 27 and October 23, 2009, with a total beam dose
of 2:4 1019. The beam was interrupted for a total beam-off time of 79 h. The energy
spectra of the -like signals registered by the front detector during all 1680 h of the
irradiation and those registered only in the beam-off intervals are presented in Fig.
2(a). The background in the beam-off spectrum is due to the decay of Po isotopes
that are daughters of the heavier nuclei produced in transfer reactions. We
observed five position-correlated decay chains in the 252-MeV 48Ca irradiation; in
each case, two or three decays were observed between the time of arrival of the ER
and the detection of SF (see Fig. 1 for the averaged decay properties assigned to
293117 isotope). All FIG. 2 (color). Energy spectra recorded during the 252 MeV
48Ca 249Bk run (E 39 MeV). (a) Total energy spectra of beam-on -like signals
and beam-off particles. (b) Total fission-fragment energy spectra, both beam on and
beam off. The arrows show the energies of events observed in the correlated decay
chains; see Fig. 1. FIG. 1 (color). Observed decay chains interpreted as originating
from the isotopes A 294 (single event) and A 293 (average of five events) of
the new element Z 117. The deduced and predicted [9] lifetimes ( T1=2= ln2)
and -particle energies are shown in black and blue, respectively. PRL 104, 142502
(2010) PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS week ending 9 APRIL 2010 142502-2 five of the
first particles emitted after the implantation of the recoils have the same energies
(within the energy resolution of the focal-plane detector), yielding average values
for the energy E1 11:03 0:08 MeV and T1 1411; 4 ms. The energies of the
particles emitted by the daughter nuclei and detected in three out of five chains
were the same within the accuracy of the measurements, resulting in E2 10:31
0:09 MeV and T2 0:220:26; 0:08 s. The third transition was observed as
having E3 9:74 0:08 MeV and E3 9:48 0:11 MeV, and T3 5:55:0; 1:8 s.
In all five cases the decay chains ended with the spontaneous fission with TSF
2625; 8 s. At the E 39 MeV excitation energy, the maximum cross section is
expected for the 4 n evaporation channel; therefore we assign the observed decay
chains as originating from the isotope 293117. This conclusion is supported by the

systematics of the cross sections xnE measured previously for production of

isotopes of superheavy nuclei with Z 108, 112116, and 118 in 48Ca-induced
reactions [1], by calculations made directly for the evaporation residues of the
reaction 249Bk 48Ca [1214] as well as by the result of the 249Bk 48Ca
experiment performed at lower beam energy (see below). In the E energy range
between 8.8 and 11.3 MeV, where we expect particles of the first five transitions
117 ! 115 ! 113 ! 111 ! 109 ! 107, the counting rate was 0:17=s (with beam on) and
103=s (beam off ) for the whole area of the front detector. Similar spectra of fission
fragmentlike signals measured under the same conditions are shown in Fig. 2(b). In
the energy range ESF 135 MeV, the SF counting rate in the front detector was 1:2
104=s (beam on) and 7 105=s (beam off ). We have calculated the total numbers of
random sequences [15] imitating each of the observed five decay chains, by using
extended intervals of time (t 5T1=2), -particle energy and position (both exceeding
4.7 standard deviations), to be 6 106, 103, 105, 3 1011, and 3 1011. The
experiment was continued at a 48Ca energy of 247 MeV for 70 d with a total beam
dose of 2 1019. The resulting excitation energy of the compound nucleus 297117
was about 35 MeV, favoring the 3 n reaction channel. A new decay chain was
detected involving six consecutive decays and ending in SF; see Fig. 1. In this
chain, the great-granddaughter nucleus with Z 111 did not undergo SF, but
instead emitted an particle with E4 9:00 MeV. It was followed by at least two
more transitions and then, after about 33 h, the fission event was recorded. The
total number for random sequences [15] imitating the observed decay chain
amounts to 6 1011. Therefore, we assign this chain to the decay of the neighboring
odd-odd nucleus 294117. Note that this decay chain was registered when about
30% of 249Bk decayed to 249Cf. Attributing it to the decay of 294118 nucleus is
unlikely due to the small production yield and significantly different decay
properties. The decay properties of the neighboring isotopes 293117 and 294117,
their daughters 289115 and 290115, as well as granddaughters 285113 and
286113, do not display substantial differences. These decay properties change
signifi- cantly for the great-granddaughter nuclei. Despite the strong hindrance
resulting in the relatively long half-life, SF is a principal decay mode of the odd-even
nucleus 281111 (see Fig. 1). On the other hand, the heavier isotope 282111
undergoes decay. The SF decay of 281111 can be explained by comparing the
results of the present experiment with the properties of the neighboring even-Z
nuclei. In the TSFN systematics, the decrease in the half-life with increasing
neutron number in the region of nuclei with N > 162 changes to a strong increase in
stability as N approaches the spherical shell at N 184 [16]. Minimum values of
TSF are characteristic of the transition region N 168170 where the effect of
nuclear shells is at a minimum. Indeed, the Z 110 darmstadtium isotopes with N
169 and N 171, as well as the Z 112, N 170, and N 172 copernicium
isotopes, undergo SF rather than decay [1]. For the odd-Z nuclei produced in the
reactions 237Np 48Ca and 243Am 48Ca, the high hindrance of SF for nuclei with
an odd number of protons and the relatively low T for the isotopes of elements 113
and 115 with N 169173 result in a preference for decay [17,18]. Spontaneous

fission is observed only in the isotopes of element 105, where the decay half-life
exceeds 105 s for 268Db. In the reaction 249Bk 48Ca, the daughter nuclei that
originate from the evaporation residues 293117 and 294117 have one or two extra
neutrons compared with those produced in the lower-Z reactions. A closer approach
to the shell at N 184 should result in a decrease in their decay energy Q and an
increase in T with respect to the neighboring lighter isotopes at the same Z. This
regularity is clearly observed experimentally for all the isotopes with Z 111; see Fig.
3. In analogy with the neighboring even-Z isotopes, all the nuclei in the decay
chains of 293117 and 294117 with Z > 111 and N 172 are expected to undergo
decay. The nucleus 281111 (N 170) lies in the critical region, and may avoid SF
only because of the hindrance resulting from an odd proton. Despite a hindrance of
3 104 with respect to its eveneven neighbor 282112 [1], the isotope 281111
undergoes SF with a probability bSF 83%. Accordingly, even the high hindrance
caused by the odd proton does not save the nucleus from SF because of the
weakening of the stabilizing effect of neutron shells N 162 and N 184. The
presence of an extra and unpaired neutron in the neighboring isotope 282111
further hinders SF relative to the decay of this nucleus. In Figs. 3(a) and 3(b), the
experimental values of decay energies Q and half-lives T are presented for isotopes
with Z 111, 113, 115, and 117. Increasing the neutron number in the heaviest
nuclides results in a decrease of Q and a considerable increase in T. An especially
strong growth of TN is observed for the isotopes of elements 111 and 113. Except
for 281111, all the nuclides presented in Fig. 3 are emitters; for them T PRL 104,
142502 (2010) PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS week ending 9 APRIL 2010 142502-3 is
smaller than TSF. This is another indication of the high stability of the superheavy
nuclei with respect to SF. From the experimental and theoretical -particle energies
given in Fig. 1, it is obvious that for all the nuclei in the decay chains of the isotopes
of element 117, the macroscopicmicroscopic calculations of the masses of the
superheavy nuclei [9] are in a good agreement with our experiment. The cross
sections for producing the nuclei of element 117 in the reaction 249Bk 48Ca are
0:51:1; 0:4 pb and 1:31:5; 0:6 pb at E 35 MeV and E 39 MeV,
respectively. These values are similar to the results of previous experiments where
cross sections for the reactions of 233;238U, 237Np, 242;244Pu, 243Am,
245;248Cm, and 249Cf targets with 48Ca beams have been measured [1]. In
conclusion, a new chemical element with atomic number 117 has been synthesized
in the fusion of 249Bk and 48Ca. The data are consistent with the observation of
two isotopes of element 117, with atomic masses 293 and 294. These isotopes
undergo decay with E 11:038 and 10.81(10) MeV and half-lives 1411; 4
and 78370; 36 ms, respectively, giving rise to sequential -decay chains ending
in spontaneous fission of 281Rg (TSF 26 s) and 270Db (TSF 1 d), respectively. The
decays of 11 identified isotopes substantially expand our knowledge of the
properties of odd-Z nuclei in the region of the most neutron-rich isotopes of
elements 105117. These nuclei generally display a trend of increased stability with
larger neutron number N. The longer half-lives offer the potential for investigation of
the chemistry of superheavy elements and establishing their location in the periodic

table. The new isotopes, together with superheavy nuclides previously synthesized
in reactions with 48Ca, present a consistent picture of nuclear properties in the area
of heaviest nuclei. They demonstrate the critical role of nuclear shells and represent
an experimental verification for the existence of the predicted island of stability for
superheavy elements. We are grateful to the JINR Directorate and the U-400
cyclotron and ion source crews for their continuous support of the experiment. We
acknowledge the support of the Russian Federal Agency of Atomic Energy, RFBR
Grants No. 07-02-00029, No. 09-02-12060, and No. 09-03-12214, and of the U.S.
Department of Energy through Contracts No. DE-AC05-00OR2272 (ORNL) and No.
DE-AC52- 07NA27344 (LLNL), and Grants No. DE-FG-05- 88ER40407 (Vanderbilt
University) and No. DE-FG07- 01AL67358 (UNLV). These studies were performed in
the framework of the Russian Federation/U.S. Joint Coordinating Committee for
Research on Fundamental Properties of Matter. *[email protected] [1] Yu. Ts.
Oganessian et al., J. Phys. G 34, R165 (2007), and earlier references therein. [2] S. C
wiok et al., Nature (London) 433, 705 (2005). [3] S. Hofmann et al., Rev. Mod.
Phys. 72, 733 (2000). [4] K. Morita et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 76, 045001 (2007). [5] R.
Eichler et al., Nature (London) 447, 72 (2007). [6] S. Hofmann et al., Eur. Phys. J. A
32, 251 (2007). [7] L. Stavsetra et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 132502 (2009). [8] Ch.
E. Dullmann et al. (to be published). [9] A. Sobiczewski, Acta Phys. Pol. B 41, 157
(2010). [10] Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., in Proceedings of the 4th International
Conference on Dynamical Aspects of Nuclear Fission, C asta-Papiernicka, Slovak
Republic, 1998 (World Scientific, Singapore, 2000), p. 334. [11] Yu. Ts. Oganessian et
al. (to be published). [12] C. Shen et al., Int. J. Mod. Phys. E 17, 66 (2008). [13] V.
Zagrebaev et al., Phys. Rev. C 78, 034610 (2008). [14] Z. H. Liu et al., Phys. Rev. C
80, 034601 (2009). [15] K. H. Schmidt et al., Z. Phys. A 316, 19 (1984). [16] R.
Smolanczuk et al., Phys. Rev. C 52, 1871 (1995). [17] Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al.,
Phys. Rev. C 72, 034611 (2005). [18] Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. C 76,
011601(R) (2007). FIG. 3 (color). (a) -decay energy and (b) half-lives versus neutron
number for the isotopes of elements with Z 111117 (new results in red). All the
nuclides with N > 165 have been produced in 48Ca induced reactions. Our T (exp)
values are given for the nuclei belonging to the 293117 decay chain (5 events). The
limit for T 281Rg was estimated from the measured half-life and number of
observed nuclei. PRL 104, 142502 (2010) PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS week ending 9
APRIL 2010 142502-4