Einsteinium - Periodic Table of Videos
Summary
TLDRThe script discusses the intriguing history and chemistry of Einsteinium, an element discovered post a hydrogen bomb test. Initially named for Albert Einstein, it was produced in minuscule quantities, challenging its study due to intense radioactivity. Recent advances have enabled the creation and structural analysis of a coordination compound of Einsteinium, showcasing the element's unique cubic oxygen arrangement despite its radioactive nature, heralding a new era in understanding the chemistry of highly radioactive elements.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Einsteinium is named after Albert Einstein and was discovered as a result of the first hydrogen bomb test, the Ivy Mike test.
- 🔍 The discovery was made by Al Giorio and colleagues, including Glenn Seaborg, who detected about 200 atoms of the new element.
- 🛬 F-84 manned jet fighters were used to collect radioactive elements from the mushroom cloud on filter papers.
- 🧪 The initial discovery process involved meticulous work, but also a significant accident where a beaker exploded, scattering radioactivity.
- 📚 The discovery of einsteinium was kept a secret due to national security concerns, and the related research was only published two years later.
- 🤔 The naming process for einsteinium included a list of potential names, some of which were quite unusual, before settling on 'einsteinium'.
- 🔬 Einsteinium is now produced in reactors, such as the one at Oak Ridge, rather than through nuclear explosions.
- ⚡ Einsteinium is highly radioactive, with one gram capable of generating a kilowatt of power, which poses challenges for studying its chemistry.
- 🔑 Recent research has allowed scientists to create and determine the structure of a coordination compound of einsteinium, despite its intense radioactivity.
- 💎 The compound was studied using a synchrotron and X-ray spectroscopy, revealing that einsteinium in the compound is surrounded by eight oxygen atoms in a cubic arrangement.
- 🚀 This scientific achievement demonstrates the potential for further discoveries in the chemistry of highly radioactive elements with even smaller sample sizes.
Q & A
What element is Einsteinium and how was it discovered?
-Einsteinium is an element with atomic number 99. It was discovered as a result of the first test of a hydrogen bomb, the Ivy Mike test, which took place on an atoll coral island in the Pacific.
How were radioactive elements collected after the Ivy Mike test?
-Radioactive elements were collected by flying F-84 manned jet fighters through the mushroom cloud to gather samples on filter papers, which were then processed in laboratories to identify the elements.
What was the significance of detecting Einsteinium after the nuclear explosion?
-The detection of Einsteinium and other radioactive elements allowed scientists to determine the density and flux of neutrons produced during the explosion, which was crucial for understanding the physics of the bomb.
Who made the initial discovery of Einsteinium and what was the process like?
-The initial discovery of Einsteinium was made by Al Giorzo, a colleague of Glenn T. Seaborg. The process involved processing coral samples and detecting about 200 atoms of the new element.
What was the humorous incident involving Gary Higgins and Stan Thompson during the discovery process?
-Gary Higgins and Stan Thompson were working in a lab, concentrating a barrel of coral into a beaker. When the beaker exploded, scattering radioactivity, they simply cleaned up the mess and started over, demonstrating a relaxed attitude towards handling radioactive materials at the time.
Why was the discovery of Einsteinium kept a secret?
-The discovery of Einsteinium was kept secret because it provided information about the bomb's neutron production, which was a significant military secret. The information could have been used by adversaries to understand the bomb's design.
How was the name 'Einsteinium' chosen for element 99?
-The name 'Einsteinium' was chosen in honor of Albert Einstein. The scientists considered many other names but ultimately settled on this one due to its connection to Einstein and the significance of his work.
How is Einsteinium produced today?
-Einsteinium is not produced by bombs today. Instead, it is made in reactors, such as the one at Oak Ridge, which provides a high-intensity neutron flux necessary for creating Einsteinium, albeit in very small quantities.
What challenges does the high radioactivity of Einsteinium present for studying its chemistry?
-The high radioactivity of Einsteinium makes it difficult to study its chemistry because the atoms are constantly decaying and generating a lot of heat, which can destroy crystals and other materials.
What was the recent scientific breakthrough involving a coordination compound of Einsteinium?
-A recent scientific breakthrough involved the creation and structural analysis of a coordination compound of Einsteinium. Researchers used a synchrotron to analyze the compound with only about 300 nanograms of the element, revealing a structure where eight oxygen atoms surround the Einsteinium atom in a cubic arrangement.
Outlines
🔬 Discovery of Einsteinium and its Historical Significance
The first paragraph delves into the discovery of Einsteinium, an element named after Albert Einstein, which was first detected as a result of the Ivy Mike nuclear test—the first hydrogen bomb test conducted on an atoll island in the Pacific. The process involved collecting radioactive samples from the mushroom cloud using F-84 jet fighters and analyzing them on filter papers at various laboratories. The initial discovery was made by Al Giorgi and his team, who, despite a mishap involving the explosion of a beaker containing radioactive material, managed to detect about 200 atoms of the unnamed element 99. The narrative highlights the secrecy surrounding the discovery due to its implications for nuclear weapon development and the eventual naming of the element after Albert Einstein.
📚 The Naming and Production of Einsteinium
The second paragraph discusses the secrecy and eventual naming of Einsteinium, along with Fermium, which were discovered simultaneously but kept under wraps for national security reasons. The paper detailing their discovery was only published two years later, with a unique acknowledgment to the designers of the thermonuclear weapon. The paragraph also covers the naming process, which included a list of proposed names, and the decision to name the element after Albert Einstein. It explains that modern production of Einsteinium occurs in reactors, such as the one at Oak Ridge, where high neutron flux is used to create minute quantities of the element. The challenges of studying Einsteinium's chemistry due to its high radioactivity and heat generation are also highlighted.
🧪 Recent Advances in Einsteinium Chemistry
The third paragraph presents recent scientific breakthroughs in the chemistry of Einsteinium. Despite the element's intense radioactivity, which complicates chemical studies, researchers have managed to create and analyze a coordination compound of Einsteinium. Using a 3D-printed plastic holder and synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy, they determined the structure of the compound, revealing an arrangement of eight oxygen atoms around the Einsteinium atom, resembling a cube. This achievement underscores the potential for further discoveries in the chemistry of highly radioactive elements and the remarkable capabilities of scientists to study minuscule samples.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Einsteinium
💡Nuclear Explosion
💡Radioactive Elements
💡F-84 Jet Fighters
💡Filter Papers
💡Neutron Flux
💡Glenn T. Seaborg
💡Synchrotron
💡Coordination Compound
💡Oak Ridge
💡X-ray Spectrum
Highlights
Einsteinium was discovered as a result of a nuclear explosion, specifically the first test of a hydrogen bomb, the Ivy Mike test.
F-84 manned jet fighters were used to collect radioactive elements from the mushroom cloud on filter papers.
About 200 atoms of einsteinium were initially detected, highlighting the sensitivity of detection methods for radioactive elements.
The discovery was made by Al Giorgi and colleagues, emphasizing the collaborative nature of scientific breakthroughs.
Anecdote about the accidental explosion in the lab and the casual recovery by scientists, illustrating the human side of scientific research.
The significance of einsteinium in calculating the neutron flux produced by the bomb, which was a closely guarded secret.
The discovery of element 99 and 100, fermium, was kept secret for two years before publication due to national security concerns.
The naming of einsteinium after Albert Einstein reflects the influence of scientific icons on new discoveries.
Einsteinium is now produced in reactors, such as at Oak Ridge, rather than through nuclear explosions.
The challenge of studying einsteinium's chemistry due to its high radioactivity and heat generation.
Recent advancements in creating a coordination compound of einsteinium, showcasing the ability to study its structure despite its radioactivity.
Use of a 3D-printed plastic holder and synchrotron X-rays to analyze the structure of einsteinium compounds.
The arrangement of eight oxygen atoms around the einsteinium atom in a newly discovered compound, resembling a cube.
The potential for further discoveries in the chemistry of highly radioactive elements, indicating ongoing research in the field.
The importance of acknowledging the design and construction of the thermonuclear weapon in the original publication.
A list of considered names for element 99, reflecting the process of naming new elements.
The practical implications of einsteinium's heat generation, such as the potential to boil water for a cup of tea.
Transcripts
we're going to talk about einsteinium
there's been some really exciting news
about the chemistry of einsteinium
but really i need to tell you a bit
about the element first
so in our first video we told you two
facts
and obviously einsteinium has a slight
resonance for me one which you knew
already that my hair looks like
einsteins
and the second one is that einsteinium
was discovered as a result of a nuclear
explosion
it wasn't just any nuclear explosion
it was the first test of a hydrogen bomb
the so-called ivy mic test
which took place on an atoll coral
island
in the middle of the pacific as soon as
the bomb went off
planes were sent to fly through the
mushroom cloud to collect traces of any
radioactive elements that were formed
f-84 manned jet fighters are being used
exclusively on this operation
experience has proven that manned
aircraft are just as efficient
and much less costly to put in the air
than our drones for sample collecting
they collected them on filter papers
which were somehow fixed to the plane
those filter papers were then
processed at various laboratories
to look for radioactive elements the
reason why they were looking for these
elements
was because from those elements
they could work out what the density the
flux
of neutrons was when the bomb went off
so it was really secret when they
got these filter papers they managed to
detect
about 200 atoms of the element
einsteinium
which of course in those days didn't
have a name element
99 the reason they could detect them is
because you can detect
individual radioactive elements by the
particles they give out so you don't
need very much to show it's there
and we're talking about iv mic was 500
times bigger than the bomb that
destroyed hiroshima
and part of the coral island was
completely destroyed
blown away but quite a lot of the coral
was
left and they took some of the coral
from the island
and processed that to look for the
elements as well the initial discovery
was made by a colleague of glenn t
seaborg
called al giorzo but he brought in
some of his colleagues to process things
and i suppose i and probably you
imagine that these scientists did things
in a really meticulous way
but they had a meeting 25 years after
the discovery
and one of them gary higgins described
what actually happened and i was amazed
so i'm going to read it to you he was in
the lab
with his colleague stan thompson
and stan was a school mate of glenn
seborg
they'd been at high school together at
the age of 13
and seaborg describes stan thompson
as making as big a contribution to
nuclear science
as madame curie listen to what he did on
this
occasion as i recall
this is gary speaking one night we had
concentrated a barrel of coral
into a two liter beaker and we're fuming
it down with perchloric acid
and nitric acid to destroy all its
organic residue
i remember we'd both been sitting on
stools
holding cups of coffee and waiting for
it to go dry
when it went off that means it exploded
it didn't break the beaker but all the
radioactivity
including the heavy elements was now
scattered
on the walls of the hood the fume
cupboard and on the blotter paper
that we put down on the floor of the
hood stan
looked at it and said well
if it isn't fun it isn't worth doing
so we folded all the paper including the
sticky tape that we used to peel the
stuff
that's the radioactive material off the
wall of the hood
back into the beaker and started over
it wasn't until late afternoon that it
was all dissolved
i think that's amazing and it shows that
scientists are human professor if one of
your students had a beaker full of
radioactive heavy elements explode all
over their fume hood
would you encourage them to wipe it down
and put it all back in the beaker
i dread to think what would happen it
would be a major incident
not just for the building but probably
for the whole city
but in those days i think people
took a little more relaxed attitude to
these elements
looking at the physics of what was
happening in the bomb
because of the existence of element 99
they could calculate
how many neutrons were produced and this
was a huge secret
because the russians could have found
out about the bomb
of course the americans at that stage
didn't know the russians had their own
bomb
but even so therefore the discovery of
element 99
was kept secret and also element of a
hundred
fermium which was discovered at the same
time and it wasn't until two years later
that they were actually allowed to
publish
the paper and the paper
is really very short half of it
nearly is acknowledgement and the thing
i really like
is the first acknowledgement which says
the personnel
of lasl los alamos science lab
for the design and construction of the
thermonuclear mic
weapon i've never read a science paper
where they thanked somebody for
designing a bomb
the fact that los alamos had designed
the bomb
influenced their thinking about what
name they might give this element
and they went through a huge list of
these names
all of which i think are pretty porn
as names of elements but let me just
read some of them to you
los alam los alamium
los alamos las lume
alimosium las lucium euclasium
and then because the argon national lab
was also involved
they thought of argonium and then
phoenicium archonium eucalym
anilium and then because they were
elements 99 and 100
they thought of athenium i'm not sure
why etheneum
and centurium for a hundred but in the
end
they settled for einsteinium
after albert einstein and
there's there is a rumor which i read
somewhere and i can't find it again
that einstein was told about this
intention to name the element
before he died though the actual
official naming
was after he died originally they wanted
to give it the symbol e
but then they went for the symbol
es nowadays einsteinium
is not made by bombs but is made
in the reactor at oak ridge which you
will see on one of our other videos
where the design of the reactor gives
this very high intensity
neutron flux which is enough to create
einsteinium
but only very very small quantities
and the problem with einsteinium
is when you want to study its chemistry
just as the high radioactivity made it
easy to discover or detect
one a few atoms so that radioactivity
makes it really hard to study its
chemistry
because the atoms are decaying all the
time
and generating a lot of heat one gram of
einsteinium
would generate a kilowatt of power
that's
nearly enough to start boiling water to
make a cup of tea
so it's a lot of heat and of course it
will destroy crystals it will destroy
everything else
nevertheless people have discovered a
lot about its chemistry
they have found that you can make
einsteinium metal
by taking einsteinium fluoride and
reacting it with lithium
or with lanthanum and so you make
lithium fluoride or
lanthanum fluoride and einsteinium metal
they've made the oxide
and some other salts as well but what's
been really exciting
in the last few weeks that a paper was
published
in the journal nature in which
people have not only made a coordination
compound of einsteinium this is an atom
of einsteinium
surrounded by quite a complicated
carbon and oxygen molecule but they've
worked out its structure
even though it's so intensely
radioactive
and they've done this with only about
300 nanograms that's less than you can
see
of the element the way that they did
this
was that they managed to put the small
amount of this compound
into a plastic holder that was 3d
printed
and then they used a synchrotron that
produces
tunable x-rays and they took the
x-ray spectrum of this tiny sample
and from the wiggles in this spectrum
you can then
work out what atoms are surrounding the
endstanium
and show that in this compound
where the organic part has eight oxygen
atoms
in the molecule those eight oxygen atoms
are arranged around the einsteinium atom
rather like the corners of a cube
this is a magnificent scientific effort
because it's quite difficult to measure
the structures of these compounds when
they're not radioactive
and it demonstrates just how much
chemists can discover from really tiny
samples of compounds
and all being well this is just the
beginning
and we will know more about other
elements really radioactive elements and
their chemistry
you
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