Superheavy Elements

[CptnQuirk]

In this article there is talk of elements that would be about 7 times as dense as lead and stable. I was pretty good with physics but this is beyond me. Please educate me if you can. If we could create or otherwise acquire such materials, it could mean a revolution in materials science.

Asteroids are Hiding Never-Seen Elements From Beyond The Periodic Table

Some asteroids have measured densities higher than those of any elements known to exist on Earth. This suggests that they are at least partly composed of

charmingscience.com

 

[OSU79]

In this article there is talk of elements that would be about 7 times as dense as lead and stable. I was pretty good with physics but this is beyond me. Please educate me if you can. If we could create or otherwise acquire such materials, it could mean a revolution in materials science.

Asteroids are Hiding Never-Seen Elements From Beyond The Periodic Table

Some asteroids have measured densities higher than those of any elements known to exist on Earth. This suggests that they are at least partly composed of

charmingscience.com

Thanks, Cap - I love this type of article, but seldom spend the time to find them.

My first thought (as a 12 year old), is I'll soon be calling someone Unobtainium butt - because they're 7 times as dense as lead.

My second thought: there has long been research/discussion of a bomb called "the God rod," or similar names. It would consist of dropping a tungsten rod the size of a telephone pole from space, which, due its kinetic energy, would strike Earth with a yield similar to a tactical nuclear weapon (and without the attendant radiation). The issue preventing its development (as far as we know!) is the cost of getting such a super-heavy payload into space. I can now envision militaries feverishly looking to mine these undiscovered, extra dense materials from asteroids in a new arms race.

Edit: just realized that, although I Googled "telephone pole bombs" for info I knew I'd seen somewhere, my recollection was from reading "The Expanse" series a few years ago. And like much science fiction, those bombs had their basis in real research going back as far as the 1950s.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

In this article there is talk of elements that would be about 7 times as dense as lead and stable. I was pretty good with physics but this is beyond me. Please educate me if you can. If we could create or otherwise acquire such materials, it could mean a revolution in materials science.

Asteroids are Hiding Never-Seen Elements From Beyond The Periodic Table

Some asteroids have measured densities higher than those of any elements known to exist on Earth. This suggests that they are at least partly composed of

charmingscience.com

I'll take a crack at it. Big takeaway: you know those two rows on the bottom of the period table that are separated from the rest of the elements? Those are lanthanide and actinide elements. They are massive - like really massive (for an atom). Being big is cool, but it also makes you very unstable. In this case, unstable means you aren't long for this world. Once created (and most of them are only created because we've forced them into existence, meaning they don't occur naturally), they only live for minutes or less. Sometimes just fractions of a second. Some of these elements have properties that would be SUPER interesting, but because they only happen artificially and they don't last long, there isn't much use in them.

Fast forward to theory time. The 'island of stability' is this mythical level of big atoms beyond even those we've created. They would be stable long enough to be studied and useful. To be clear, we've never actually seen any of these atoms and it's questioned if they did exist, would they be stable. But the hope is that one day we'll find them or be able to create them and usher in some wicked new science.


Fun fact: finding any of these big boys out in the cosmos is a great way to search for aliens, as we know of no methods by which they can be produced naturally.

Island of stability chart. I like it because it looks like Hawaii. Keep in mind we haven't seen this island yet. It's that last little section of red on the far right - red meaning stable.






Fun video from Dr. Kipping (one of my favorite dudes in astronomy).

 

[Bowers3]

I'll take a crack at it. Big takeaway: you know those two rows on the bottom of the period table that are separated from the rest of the elements? Those are lanthanide and actinide elements. They are massive - like really massive (for an atom). Being big is cool, but it also makes you very unstable. In this case, unstable means you aren't long for this world. Once created (and most of them are only created because we've forced them into existence, meaning they don't occur naturally), they only live for minutes or less. Sometimes just fractions of a second. Some of these elements have properties that would be SUPER interesting, but because they only happen artificially and they don't last long, there isn't much use in them.

Fast forward to theory time. The 'island of stability' is this mythical level of big atoms beyond even those we've created. They would be stable long enough to be studied and useful. To be clear, we've never actually seen any of these atoms and it's questioned if they did exist, would they be stable. But the hope is that one day we'll find them or be able to create them and usher in some wicked new science.


Fun fact: finding any of these big boys out in the cosmos is a great way to search for aliens, as we know of no methods by which they can be produced naturally.

Island of stability chart. I like it because it looks like Hawaii. Keep in mind we haven't seen this island yet. It's that last little section of red on the far right - red meaning stable.
View attachment 3955





Fun video from Dr. Kipping (one of my favorite dudes in astronomy).

You sure do use your words purdy.