The destructium element

[rockytriton]

Hi, let me first start by saying my knowledge of chemistry and the periodic table is very little. I was reading something about how they slam some elements together to knock them apart to form other elements. It seems that this is how things like plutonium are made. I know that there are still some elements that haven't yet been found/made, but what happens if in a lab they are trying to create a new element and it just so happens that this element has extreme reactions with oxygen and basically causes a chain reaction and blows earth up completely. Is this a fear at all? Is any of this kind of research regulated? Sorry for my ignorance, but reading about this just got me thinking.

[Fishteacher73]

Many of the "man made" elements exist in the lab for only tiny periods of time (milliseconds). This is because they are not intrinsicly stable (or else they would be found naturally).

 

The uncontrolled chain reaction was first a concern when the nirst fission reaction was conemplated. It doesn't seem to really be an issue though.

[infamous]

Many of the "man made" elements exist in the lab for only tiny periods of time (milliseconds). This is because they are not intrinsicly stable (or else they would be found naturally).

 

The uncontrolled chain reaction was first a concern when the nirst fission reaction was conemplated. It doesn't seem to really be an issue though.

 

There are some researches that believe that we may reach a point in heavy element developement where stability will again be achieved. Just how far away from this goal we are at present is anyones quess. If we do reach this level of transmutation at some later date, the implications have great potential. New elements with many as yet unknown properties will emerge, likely leading to whole new technologies.

[Eduffy80911]

Wouldn't it be amusing if in the process of trying to create a stable heavy element researchers crossed a threshold and created a "black hole".....oops.

[Tormod]

Wouldn't it be amusing if in the process of trying to create a stable heavy element researchers crossed a threshold and created a "black hole".....oops.

 

Look no further:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4357613.stm

 

:Alien:

[infamous]

Look no further:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4357613.stm

 

:circle:

 

Thanks for this link Tormod; Very interesting article, causing some of us to take pause. Very fortunate for us that gravity is indeed not the dominating force in this experiment.

[UncleAl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4357613.stm

Let's do the obvious for smashing together twodeeply relativistic gold atoms in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and getting out a "black hole" (BH),

 

"BH" diameter = 5x10^(-15) meters (or maybe 10^(-14) m)

"BH" density = 100(2.3x19^14 g/cm^3) = 2.3x10^16 g/cm^3 (2.3x10^19 kg/m^3)

"BH" mass = 1.20x10^(-23) kg or maybe 1/8 that.

 

Alternatively, a gold atom (conservative, plus electrons) masses 196.966654 amu (1.6605x10^(-27) kg) or, after the 100X density boost, two equal 3.27x10^(-23) kg. Same number within a factor of 2.7, and that is more than close enough.

 

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=219

Middle

Schwartzschld radius threshold density = (1.8x10^16 g/cm^3)(M_sun/M_blackhole)^2

It didn't come anywhere close to being a black hole

 

http://www.physics.wustl.edu/~visser/physics-216/answers-11.html

r_Schwarzschild = 2GM/c^2

 

r = (2)[6.674x10^(-11) m^3/kg-sec^2](1.2x10^(-23))/(3x10^8)^2

r = 1.8x10^(-50) meters

 

It is nowhere near a black hole even if we make it a quadrillion times more massive or give it a 10^5 times smaller radius. Why was everybody pissing and moaning?

[karlfreak]

if this element was actually created it really would not matter because the reaction rate would have to happen at such a fast rate that you would be dead in acouple of hours as long as the rest of the world if i was u i would be more afraid of the bionic plauge or aids

[Jay-qu]

Pfft, destructium? have you heard of anti-matter? think about the extreme physical limits here!

 

E=mc^2

 

so if you created even a couple of atoms of this new element and say it somehow completely converted itself into energy(like in an anti-matter annihilation), WOW, it wouldnt even power a light globe...

[karlfreak]

i have actually heard of anti-matter and find it quite an interesting topic but i am quite complexed about it the idea behind it if u could prahps clear me up on the idea i would be very greatful

[Jay-qu]

basically (and i mean basic the full scope is beyond me...) anti-matter is the opposite of matter(duh.?) sort of - the charges on the subatomic particals are opposite, im sure you have heard of an electron - well the anti-electron is called a positron and guess what? it has a positive charge! there are also anti-protons (not to sure of the name) and if you combine these two together you will create an anti-hydrogen atom.

 

now the interesting part! whenever antimatter comes into contact with normal matter it annihilates and turns completly into energy, 100% efficient. so its no wonder why we havent found any lying around, also this makes it hard to store - small amounts (very small amounts) have been made in large sychrotrons and have been sucessfully stored under magnetic fields to keep the it out of contact with normal matter. before you go thinking that this would make a very effective WMD, at present that is not a possibility. this is because if you had a sample of positrons kept inside a vaccume sealed container held in the middle by a magnetic field, if two many positrons are in the one place they repel eachother two much and will escape the magnetic field and annihilate. ;)

 

so theres the basic run down, if anyone has anything to add (or correct me) please do...

[GAHD]

there are also anti-protons (not to sure of the name)

I think I've heard the term electrino thrown around.

 

...also this makes it hard to store - small amounts (very small amounts) have been made in large sychrotrons and have been sucessfully stored under magnetic fields to keep the it out of contact with normal matter.

Can't say I've heard of any reproduceable experiments, then again antimatter would be a jelously guarded secret.

[karlfreak]

i know all that but i was wondering how they did make anti matter

[infamous]

i know all that but i was wondering how they did make anti matter

 

Try this link, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2266503.stm

 

I believe this will answer some of your questions.

[karlfreak]

thanks for the site

 

it states that it annihalated it self when it touched matter if this is the case how large is the explosion

[Guest twistedlink]

The explosion is dependant on the anti matters amount of positrons, and the reacting matters electrons.

 

a theory is made that mass amounts of matter and anti matter led to the big bang....so i'd say the potential explosion is......prettty big :Alien: ;) .

 

When they smash particles together it from what i have read creates a lot of neutrons, this is what makes the particles that are man-made unstable, the neutrons, it comes to a point where there are so many the atom cant contain them all and decays into radiation or whatever.

 

ununpentium is meant to have 2 gravity fields because of an effect related to this as well, which is why they think ununpentium might give light to anti gravity technology

 

It is a very interesting subject, that i know little of, but read up on it when i can.

[Tormod]

ununpentium is meant to have 2 gravity fields because of an effect related to this as well, which is why they think ununpentium might give light to anti gravity technology

 

This is generally assumed to be pseudoscience. Do you have a credible source for this?