2004

Moscovium

• The cyclotron at Dubna
• propelled a beam of calcium-48 ions
• at a rotating target
• of americium-243 dioxide
• on a titanium foil.
• A gas-filled recoil separator
• separated isotopes of element 115
• from calcium-48 ions,
• scattered and evaporated particles,
• and nucleon-transfer reaction-products.
• A multiwire proportional counter
• measured the times of flight.
• A semiconductor focal-plane detector array
• surrounded by a box of additional detectors
• captured signals of alpha decays.
• Using this apparatus,
• Russian and American scientists produced
• two isotopes of element 115,
• resulting in alpha decays
• characteristic of a sequence of elements
• with an odd number of protons.
• Moscovium-287 decays to nihonium-283,
• then to roentgenium-279, meitnerium-275,
• bohrium-271, and dubnium-267.
• Moscovium-288 decays to nihonium-284,
• then to roentgenium-280, meitnerium-276,
• bohrium-272, and dubnium-268.
• Then the dubnium decays
• by spontaneous fission.

Atomic number 115

• What is it like?
• It’s only a blip.
• It would have its own chemistry,
• but it’s gone in a flash.
• It lasts only a moment
• and there’s not enough to test.

Unidentified effects

• Moscovium was obtained from the crashed UFO at Roswell.
• Moscovium releases gravitons to levitate UFOs.
• Moscovium powers weapons and creates zombies.
• Moscovium cures cancer and makes you and me invisible.