The lightest isotope of nobel was the first in the world to be synthesized by a group of scientists from the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). A neutron-deficient isotope with a mass of 249 was obtained during experiments to study the properties of radioactive decay of neutron-deficient nuclei of nobelium and rutherfordium. The work was carried out on the cyclotron U-400.
The results obtained help scientists advance in understanding the properties and limits of stability of nuclear matter.
"Our group is studying the properties of radioactive decay of heavy nuclei mainly from the transfermium region. These works are important for understanding what the minimum and maximum ratio of neutrons and protons in the nucleus can be, what is the smallest number of neutrons that allows the nucleus to remain stable. For example, in one of our experiments we reached the Nobel nucleus with a mass of 249 — this is the lightest isotope of nobel discovered by us," explained Alexander Svirikhin, head of Sector No. 2 of the JINR Nuclear Reactions Laboratory.
Nobelium is a chemical element number 102 in the Periodic Table of D. I. Mendeleev. Swedish scientists were the first to announce its discovery in 1957, and they also proposed naming the element after Alfred Nobel. But the data about the element has not been confirmed. As a result, the Nobel prize was first obtained during the experiments of 1963-1967 at the JINR accelerator in Dubna. This element is one of the heaviest metals. It does not exist in nature, it can only be synthesized in the laboratory.
It is quite difficult to obtain neutron-deficient isotope nuclei: only a few dozen events of the formation of nobelium-249 were recorded on high-intensity cyclotron beams using the SHELS full fusion reaction products separator.
During the research, the laboratory team also discovered new decay modes and isomeric states of the isotope rutherfordium-253. An experiment to synthesize its "mother" nucleus showed the decay of an element in 249No, which confirmed the right to life of a new isotope.
Please note that this press release is based on materials provided by the company. AK&M Information Agency shall not be held liable for its contents, nor for the legal and other consequences of its publication.
