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Nuclear physics

Weighing up the superheavies

Nature volume 463, pages 740–741 (2010)Cite this article

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To discover superheavy elements and study their properties, we need to know the masses of the isotopes of elements heavier than uranium. Weighing these isotopes in an electromagnetic trap has now become possible.

Nuclear reactions allow us to create elements beyond uranium (element 92), the heaviest element in nature. However, we are far from knowing what the heaviest possible element is. In the sparsely explored territory of superheavy elements, an 'island of stability' is expected. This island would consist of isotopes of elements that are more strongly bound and longer-lived than the isotopes surrounding it. Challenging expeditions towards the island have so far led to the discovery of elements up to element 118. But knowing the masses of the isotopes of elements heavier than uranium (trans-uranium elements) is of great importance for the success of the journey. In this issue (page 785), Block and colleagues1 describe the first-ever direct measurement of the masses of isotopes of a trans-uranium element. They have used an ion trap as a high-precision scale for weighing isotopes of nobelium, an element that has ten more protons than uranium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georg Bollen is at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Michigan State University, Michigan 48824-1321, USA. bollen@frib.msu.edu ,

    Georg Bollen

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  1. Georg Bollen
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Bollen, G. Weighing up the superheavies. Nature 463, 740–741 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/463740a

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