Superheavy Elements on the Island of Stability (IMAGE)

American Physical Society

Superheavy Elements on the Island of Stability

Caption

The lifetime of element 117 bolsters confidence in theories that predict that superheavy elements occupy an "island of stability" in a chart of elements and their isotopes. The island is indicated by the red region at the upper right. Atoms in the stable region decay much more slowly than atoms with characteristics that place them nearby, but outside, the region.

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American Physical Society

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