Future Elements - Periodic Table of Videos

Summary

In Dubna, Russia, the birthplace of six super-heavy elements, the quest to create elements 119 and 120 is underway. These elements would begin the eighth period of Mendeleev's periodic table. Challenges include selecting appropriate projectiles and targets, with new technologies needed to prevent target overheating. The 'super-heavy element factory' in Dubna, featuring a massive 1100-ton magnet for a cyclotron, is poised to conduct these experiments, potentially leading to the discovery of elements 119 and 120 in the coming years.

Takeaways

• 🧪 The birthplace of six super-heavy elements is Dubna, Russia, where the Mendeleev Embankment and a statue of Dmitri Mendeleev are located.
• 🔬 Elements 119 and 120 are significant as they will begin the eighth period of the periodic table.
• 🤔 The creation of these elements is more of a technical challenge rather than a theoretical one; the methods are understood, but the best approach is still being determined.
• 🚀 Success in creating elements 113 to 118 involved accelerating a light atom towards a target, specifically calcium-48, which has a high neutron count.
• 💡 The production of element 119 requires einsteinium (element 99) as a target, but einsteinium is difficult and expensive to produce.
• 🔥 A new technology must be developed to prevent the target from overheating due to the intense beam required for the reaction.
• ⚔️ Alternative projectiles such as titanium-51 or chromium-54 are being considered, but they have lower chances of successful collisions.
• 🏗️ A new facility, dubbed the 'super-heavy element factory,' is being constructed in Dubna to house the necessary equipment for these experiments.
• 🧲 The facility features a massive magnet for a cyclotron, which will accelerate ions to about a tenth of the speed of light.
• 🌐 The separator in the facility can direct the beam to one of five different experimental setups, showcasing the versatility of the research environment.
• 🔮 The room where elements 119 and 120 are expected to be created has been prepared, with holes drilled for the beam, offering a direct view of the accelerator.

Q & A

Where is the speaker located at the beginning of the transcript?

The speaker is located in Dubna, Russia, which is the birthplace of six super-heavy elements.

What significant feature of the periodic table do elements 119 and 120 represent?

Elements 119 and 120 are special because they will begin the eighth period, the eighth row of Mendeleev's periodic table.

What was the speaker's initial doubt about the creation of elements 119 and 120?

Before visiting Dubna, the speaker had real questions about whether it was possible to ever create elements 119 and 120.

What has been the key to success in creating elements 113 to 118?

The key to success in creating elements 113 to 118 has been the use of a light atom projectile, specifically calcium-48, which is accelerated towards a target.

What is the challenge in creating element 119?

The challenge in creating element 119 is the need for element 99 (einsteinium) as a target material, which is very difficult and expensive to produce.

What alternative projectiles are being considered for creating super-heavy elements?

Alternative projectiles being considered are titanium-51 and chromium-54, which could be used with existing targets.

What technical problem arises when using titanium or chromium as projectiles?

Using titanium or chromium as projectiles results in a lower chance of successful collisions, requiring a much more intense beam.

What is the 'super-heavy element factory' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'super-heavy element factory' is a special new facility in Dubna being built with a more intense beam for conducting experiments to create super-heavy elements.

Who gave the speaker a private tour of the new facility?

Yuri Oganessian, the person after whom element 118 (oganesson) was named, gave the speaker a private tour of the new facility.

What is the current status of the accelerator at the 'super-heavy element factory'?

At the time of the transcript, the magnet for the cyclotron (the accelerator) had just been placed, and they were in the process of measuring the magnetic field before assembling the actual accelerator.

What is the significance of the empty room with drilled holes in the walls?

The empty room with drilled holes in the walls is significant because it is where the targets for creating elements 119 and 120 will be placed, and it represents the potential birthplace of these new elements.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Pursuit of Super-Heavy Elements in Dubna

The script begins at the Mendeleev Embankment in Dubna, Russia, a city known for its contributions to the discovery of super-heavy elements. The narrator discusses the recent advancements in creating elements 113 to 118 and the challenges faced in producing elements 119 and 120, which would mark the beginning of the eighth period in the periodic table. The key issue is the scarcity of suitable target materials, particularly Einsteinium for element 119. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's potential to produce a small amount of Einsteinium at a high cost is mentioned, along with the need for new technology to prevent target overheating. Alternative projectiles like Titanium or Chromium are considered, though they present their own challenges due to lower collision probabilities. The script also highlights the construction of a new facility in Dubna, dubbed the 'super-heavy element factory,' which is designed to accommodate the necessary experiments with a more intense beam. The narrator shares a personal experience of touring the facility with Yuri Oganessian, after whom element 118 is named, and describes the cyclotron and its components, including a massive magnet that is currently being tested.

05:02

🏗️ The Future Birthplace of Elements 119 and 120

In the second paragraph, the narrator describes the emotional impact of visiting the room where elements 119 and 120 are expected to be created. The room is currently empty, with holes already drilled in the walls for the beam to pass through, offering a direct view of the accelerator from the target's perspective. The script reflects on a previous video made about preliminary experiments attempting to create element 120, which showed more promise than initially realized. The narrator emphasizes the importance of these experiments for scientific understanding rather than immediate practical applications. The script concludes with an optimistic outlook on the future creation of elements 119 and 120, although the timeline remains uncertain. The value of calcium carbonate samples present during the visit is noted, highlighting the high stakes and cost associated with this scientific endeavor.

Keywords

💡Super-heavy elements

Super-heavy elements refer to the chemical elements with an atomic number greater than 103, which are located in the seventh and eighth periods of the periodic table. In the video, the focus is on elements 119 and 120, which would begin the eighth period. These elements are of particular interest because they represent the frontier of chemical element discovery and have unique properties due to their high atomic numbers.

💡Dmitri Mendeleev

Dmitri Mendeleev is the Russian chemist who is best known for formulating the Periodic Law and creating the first version of the periodic table of elements. The video is filmed at the Mendeleev Embankment, which is named in his honor. Mendeleev's work laid the foundation for understanding the structure of elements and predicting their properties, which is central to the discussion of creating super-heavy elements.

💡Eighth period

The eighth period refers to the next row of elements in the periodic table, which begins with atomic number 119. Elements in this period are of significant scientific interest as they are expected to exhibit unique chemical and physical properties. The video discusses the challenges and prospects of synthesizing elements 119 and 120, which would populate this period.

💡Projectile

In the context of the video, a 'projectile' refers to the lighter atom that is accelerated and directed towards a target atom in an attempt to create a new, heavier element through nuclear fusion. The choice of projectile is crucial for the success of creating super-heavy elements, as it affects the likelihood of a successful collision and the subsequent formation of a new element.

💡Target

A 'target' in this video refers to the heavier atom or material that is bombarded with a projectile in the hopes of creating a new, super-heavy element through nuclear reactions. The availability and properties of the target material are critical factors in the synthesis of new elements, as highlighted by the discussion of using einsteinium as a target for element 119.

💡Einsteinium

Einsteinium is a synthetic element with the atomic number 99. It is mentioned in the video as a necessary target material for creating element 119. The production of einsteinium is challenging and costly, which underscores the technical and financial hurdles in the pursuit of super-heavy elements.

💡Cyclotron

A cyclotron is a type of particle accelerator used to accelerate charged particles, such as ions, to high speeds. In the video, the cyclotron is central to the new facility being built in Dubna, known as the 'super-heavy element factory.' The cyclotron is used to accelerate projectiles towards targets in the quest to create new elements.

💡Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is mentioned as an institution capable of producing einsteinium, which is a difficult element to make. The video highlights the laboratory's role in the production of rare materials necessary for experiments aiming to create super-heavy elements.

💡Technical problem

The term 'technical problem' in the video refers to the challenges faced in the practical execution of creating super-heavy elements. These include selecting the right projectile and target materials, developing new technologies to prevent target overheating, and constructing facilities capable of housing the necessary equipment, such as the cyclotron.

💡Yuri Oganessian

Yuri Oganessian is a Russian physicist after whom element 118, oganesson, is named. In the video, he is mentioned as providing a private tour of the new facility in Dubna. His involvement and the naming of element 118 after him underscore his significant contributions to the field of super-heavy element research.

💡Scientific understanding

The video emphasizes the pursuit of 'scientific understanding' as a key motivation for creating super-heavy elements. While these experiments may not lead to immediate practical applications, such as new technology for consumer products, they contribute to the broader knowledge of atomic structure, nuclear reactions, and the properties of matter.

Highlights

Dubna, Russia, is the birthplace of six super-heavy elements.

The Mendeleev Embankment is named after Dmitri Mendeleev, the creator of the periodic table.

Elements 119 and 120 will begin the eighth period of Mendeleev's table.

Creating super-heavy elements is more of a technical challenge than a theoretical one.

Recent successes in creating elements 113 to 118 involved accelerating calcium-48 towards a target.

There is a shortage of suitable target materials for creating element 119.

Einsteinium, element 99, is required as a target for creating element 119 but is difficult to produce.

Producing a sufficient amount of einsteinium for experiments is costly and challenging.

New technology is needed to prevent the target from overheating during the experiments.

Alternative projectiles, such as titanium-51 or chromium-54, are being considered.

Using titanium or chromium requires a more intense beam due to lower collision chances.

Dubna is constructing a special facility, the 'super-heavy element factory', for these experiments.

The facility features a cyclotron with a huge magnet weighing 1100 tons.

The accelerator is expected to be operational by the end of 2017.

The separator in the facility directs the beam to one of five different experimental setups.

The room for the targets has been prepared, with holes drilled for the beam to pass through.

Experiments in Germany using titanium and californium showed promising results for element 120.

The creation of elements 119 and 120 is on track, with the timeline uncertain but promising.

The scientific understanding gained from these experiments is of great value, even if not immediately practical.

Calcium carbonate samples at the site are worth a significant amount, highlighting the value of the work.

Transcripts

I'm in Dubna in Russia, the birthplace

of six super-heavy elements. We are on the knavish набережная Менделеева (the Mendeleev Embankment).

And here I am next to the statue of Dmitri Mendeleev and what I want to tell you about

Is the things that I've learnt in the last few days about the chances of making the super-heavy elements; 119 [and] 120.

So these are really special because they will begin the eighth period, the eighth row of Mendeleev's table.

before I came here, two days ago, I thought that there was real questions

whether or not it was possible ever to make these elements

I now realize it's much more a technical problem

People can see how this should be done,

but they can't quite work out which is the best way.

So let me try and explain to the problem.

The real success in the last few years in making elements 113 to 118

has been in the projectile of the light atom that has been accelerated towards the target

and this has been the very rare isotope of calcium

calcium 48 that has a big excess of neutrons.

The problem is that we have now got to the stage

Where we have run out of suitable target materials.

To make element 119 you need to have element 99.

That's einsteinium as the target because calcium 20 + 99 makes 119 .

The problem is that Einsteinium is a very difficult element to make.

If the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

runs a dedicated campaign to making it,

they could make 40 micrograms

which would cost somewhere between 5 and 10 million dollars

and that would be enough to make a target that was only one and a half square centimeters in area.

Much smaller than the current targets that are used for these experiments

So a whole new technology will have to be developed to stop the target overheating.

The other approach is to use a different projectile.

There are ideas of using either 51 Titanium or 54 Chromium and the existing targets.

The problem is that with Titanium and Chromium the chances of the

successful collision taking place are much less than with calcium

So you need a much more intense beam.

So there's the technical problems; choosing your projectile, choosing your targets.

Assuming you've done that, where on Earth can you do the experiment

and this is why it's been so exciting being here in Dubna

because they're building a special new facility

with a more intense beam so that these experiments can be done

and it has a terrific name the super-heavy element factory

the building is built, or almost built, and the accelerator is just being assembled.

Brady and I were really lucky, Yuri Oganessian,

the person after whom element 118 was named, Oganesson.

Took us for a private tour round the new Facility which is still being built.

So, at the Center is a huge magnet that is going to be used for the cyclotron (the accelerator)

Ions are accelerated whichever projectile they choose

goes into the space between the poles of the magnet

and is accelerated round and round in the spiral paths from the center to the outside

and by the time we get to the outside it will be traveling at about a tenth of the speed of light.

and at the moment they've just got the magnet in place.

It weighs 1100 tons

and at the moment

they are measuring the magnetic field to make sure that the magnet is performing perfectly

before they put the actual accelerator inside.

The accelerator should be up and running by the end of this year 2017.

so once the ions come out of the accelerator at this huge speed they go into the separator

Which is rather like the switching system at a railway Junction

which can send a beam down one of five different beam lines to five different experiments

and that in itself is quite a huge piece of equipment

but most exciting, of all Brady and I were taken into the room

Where the targets going to be.

We were the first visitors in this huge empty room

And it was really quite moving to think this is where element 119 and 120 may be born.

I was particularly fascinated they've already drilled the holes in the walls

Where the beam is going to come through.

So you can look through this hole and see the atoms eye view of the accelerator

That what the target will see as the beams are coming towards it.

I think this is fantastic it's completely empty room

But this is the room where the new elements one 119 and 120 are likely to be made.

So five years ago we made a video about preliminary experiments trying to make element 120

from Cytanium and Californium with a titanium projectile and a Californium target

not here in Dubna but in Germany. The results were actually slightly more promising than I realized When I made that video.

This is not the sort of experiment that will necessarily give you new iphone tomorrow

But on the other hand it will give us a lot of scientific understanding.

But the really Important message that I am brave got from this visit.

Is that things are really quite well on track to make elements 119 and 120?

whether it'll be in two years or five years or ten years nobody can tell.

But certainly the science is there and we know where we're going

and It looks really promising

there two brands of calcium carbonate here

Which are worth at least if you wanted to buy it would cost you about half a million dollars

So my hands are getting quite cool