- 2 scientists of Indian origin by name Dr Susant Lahiri and Moumita Maiti from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) and Indian Institute of Science, Rourkela, are termed co-creators of the newly discovered element 117 along with a an international team of 72 scientists and engineers.
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the US has produced 13 mg of berkelium over 18 months of time, and this was then targeted with Calcium ion beams using a GSI accelerator to produce an atomic nuclei with a proton number of 117. The element has been named ununseptium.
- International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, will now decide whether more data is necessary for such a proof.
- Significance of the discovery:
- The main interest lies in the fact that an atomic nuclei with proton number 117 exists which proves that element number 117, which was hitherto elusive, exists.
- Earlier, Russian scientists had reported observation of 4 atoms of the nuclei of the element 117 isotope.
- Prospects for finding new materials in the future is what makes this discovery very fascinating.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sci-tech-and-agri/indian-role-in-producing-superheavy-element-117/article5987669.ece
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