Japanese scientists claim to have found new element

[Knight-Dragon]

http://straitstimes.asia1.com/asia/story/0,4386,275321,00.html?

TOKYO - Japanese scientists claim to have discovered a new element, and are considering naming it 'japonium', a researcher said yesterday.

The element, atomic number 113, would be the densest known to man if confirmed by international experts.

'We are considering the names 'japonium' or 'rikenium',' said Mr Koji Morimoto, a researcher with a 20-member team at the government-funded Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken).

However, the element stayed intact for just three-tenths of a millisecond before breaking down into lighter elements.

Mr Morimoto said that the team would try to recreate the material next month.

In February, Russian scientists claimed to have discovered elements 113 and 115, but they have yet to earn naming rights from a joint working group of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

So far, elements up to number 111 have been endorsed by the group. The heaviest naturally occurring element is uranium, with atomic number 92. -- AFP

 

[Smellincoffee]

What's with "rikenium" being considered as a name? I'm going to guess it's related to the Russians..

 

[stratego]

The element, atomic number 113, would be the densest known to man if confirmed by international experts.

'We are considering the names 'japonium' or 'rikenium','

Dammit, the Japanse got there before us. Couple of friends of mine were trying to create the 113 element, and we were going to call it "FStanfurdium"

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken)

So says in the article.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

I guess 'rikenium' is based on the Japanese institute's name (Riken).

 

[amadeus]

Shouldn't it be nihonium?

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

No, Japan is the English name, and Nihon (or sometimes Nippon) is the Japanese name. Better to bastardise words in two languages than three.

 

[ainwood]

Only 3/10's of a millisecond eh?

I thought they had predicted an island of stability for nucleii around that point, although it might have been predicted to be at an atomic number of 115 (If I recall X-Com correctly).

 

[Perfection]

I alwas find it funny when they announce the "discovery" of a new element, as if some geologist stumbled across it instead of it being produced in an artificial process.

Only 3/10's of a millisecond eh?

I thought they had predicted an island of stability for nucleii around that point, although it might have been predicted to be at an atomic number of 115 (If I recall X-Com correctly).

It's ununquadium-296, unbinilium-304 and unbihexium-310.

 

[Zeekater]

The fact that it doesn't have any practical uses make the news a bit less sensational, it's not like we'll be buying stuff made from japonium any time soon

 

[CrazyScientist]

Can you imagine a world without japonium?

 

[Pointlessness]

Japonium? What about ununnilium, unununium, and ununbium? Following the pattern, maybe the new element should be named ununtrium?

 

[SeleucusNicator]

The unun names were temporary because the US and the USSR both claimed discovery of those elements and gave them competeting names. For instance, the Russians called 106 "Stalinium", which we found objectionable.

 

[smalltalk]

Only 3/10's of a millisecond eh?

I thought they had predicted an island of stability for nucleii around that point, although it might have been predicted to be at an atomic number of 115 (If I recall X-Com correctly).

Yep.

Though I thought we would have passed 113 already.

http://enews.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/elements-116-118.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/06/990608071804.htm

 

[WillJ]

Related question: Is it known what element #119 would be like, or if it's even possible? Is it possible for an atom to have eight principal energy levels?

 

[Perfection]

Japonium? What about ununnilium, unununium, and ununbium? Following the pattern, maybe the new element should be named ununtrium?

The unun names were temporary because the US and the USSR both claimed discovery of those elements and gave them competeting names. For instance, the Russians called 106 "Stalinium", which we found objectionable.

Actually Stalinium was never proposed (new elements are named after places, physicists and chemists, not political leaders) but Kurchatovium being proposed for element 104 (Now Rutherfordium), was objected to on similar grounds(Kurchatov was the father of the Soviet atomic bomb). This is among many of the element naming controversies, which include debates on discovery and if it can be named after living people.

As a minor point, IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) uses that as a provisional name for all elements (not just recently discovered ones with disputed names) until a name is recognized

Related question: Is it known what element #119 would be like, or if it's even possible?

Well, I see no reason why it can't be created, however it would almost certainly decay very quickly. Hypothetically if it was atomically stable it would have properties similar to Cesium, except more extreme, elementally it would probobly be a liquid at room temperature and would react violently with water or air (more then any other chemical would). It would have a number of salts which are likely soluble, chemically stable, and weak and brittle as solids.

Is it possible for an atom to have eight principal energy levels?

Yes, in fact all atoms have an eighth principle energy level (provided that they aren't in a compound with covalent characteristics), it's just that at a ground state they are all empty.

Though I thought we would have passed 113 already.

http://enews.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/elements-116-118.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/06/990608071804.htm

Those discoveries turned out to fabricated (though Dubna claims to have created 116.)

Also remember even though we have produced 114 (which is in the island of stability, unlike 115, which would not be stable) we haven't produced the stable isotope.

 

[Milan's Warrior]

Can you imagine a world without japonium?

That made me laugh

 

[Aphex_Twin]

Is there an upper limit to the number of protons in an atom?

 

[The Last Conformist]

Well, in principle not. They just get insanely unstable as the proton number goes up.

 

[IglooDame]

The unun names were temporary because the US and the USSR both claimed discovery of those elements and gave them competeting names. For instance, the Russians called 106 "Stalinium", which we found objectionable.

I think a strong case could be made for Adamantium. Or failing that, Unbelievium.