Illustration of Moscovium

2004 Moscovium

The book of science

Tom Sharp

DubnaYuri Oganessian, V. K. Utyonkoy, Yu. V. Lobanov, F. Sh. Abdullin, A. N. Polyakov, I. V. Shirokovsky, Yu. S. Tsyganov, G. G. Gulbekian, Sergey L. Bogomolov, A. N. Mezentsev, S. Iliev, V. G. Subbotin, A. M. Sukhov, A. A. Voinov, G. V. Buklanov, K. Subotic, V. I. Zagrebaev, Michael Grigorievich Itkis, Joshua B. Patin, Ken J. Moody, John F. Wild, Mark A. Stoyer, Nancy J. Stoyer, Dawn A. Shaughnessy, Jacqueline M. Kenneally, Ronald W. Lougheed elements Illustration of Moscovium

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.

Lead and bismuth impurities in the target obscure an understandng of the chemistry of moscovium, given that for its lifetime it exists in a cloud of debris.

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