'At each step of this odd–odd stairway we decrease the atomic number of the nucleus by two, and we move away by two neutrons from the magic number N = 184. This decay pattern is reproduced with the element 111, then 109, and so on,' he added. 'Emission of an alpha particle forms an odd–odd nucleus of the element 113 that, for the same reasons, will also undergo alpha decay. 'The internal structure of the 115 nucleus - with odd numbers of protons and neutrons (Z = 115, N = 173) - largely prevents spontaneous fission, so it is likely that the nucleus will undergo alpha decay,' Oganessian wrote in Nature Chemistry in 2019.Īlpha decay is a type of radioactive decay where an unstable nucleus changes to another element by emitting a particle composed of two protons and two neutrons. 'This new element was then separated from all the other reaction products using the Dubna gas-filled recoil separator and then implanted into a detector where scientists were able to watch element 115 decay into element 113.' 'The new element that they made had 115 protons (20 from the 48Ca and 95 from the 243Am),' she said. This process produced four atoms of moscovium. 'To create a superheavy element, you need the complete fusion of two lighter elements,' she noted. Through this bombardment, they were able to successfully fuse the nuclei of 243Am and 48Ca atoms, said Gates.
