Lansing (MI) - Using a high-power atom-smasher at Michigan State University’s National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), three new isotopes have been found.  They are silicon-44, aluminum-42 and magnesium-40, and each of them lasts only a fraction of a second before decaying into other isotopes.

After five continuous days of bombarding atoms in an attempt to find these new isotopes, the team had pretty much resigned themselves to the reality that they do not exist.  However, on the sixth day the isotopes were discovered.  The aluminum isotope, for example, was shown to have a lifespan of much longer than was previously thought, which leads researchers to believe there may also be new isotopes which were previously thought impossible which may have shorter lifespans.

The scientists said that only three separate instances of magnesium-40 were found in 11 days of continuous bombardment.  They saw more than 20 instances of aluminum-42, with one blip-instance of aluminum-43.  No word on how many silicon-44 isotope instances were observed.  The team indicated that to find even more rare particles would require a much more powerful beam than their current collider.  It seems that once again funding is holding science back.

Read more ... NSCL.

But why?

Oct 24, 2007 15:45     

What is the expectation of continued high energy physics experiments like these? If we find another new isotope how will that help humanity? Is it basic research in the hopes of finding what makes everything tick? I understand basic science has it's place, but there must come a point where the cost outweighs any possible benefit.
MikeL report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

US.... so.....

Oct 24, 2007 17:47     

well heres a radical thought to all you US citizens. its the US, most likely they are military experiments. You guys decide if that is a joke or not
fred report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Island of Stability

Oct 24, 2007 17:51     

I suspect they are looking for the theoretical island of stability, where new, man-made elements would become stable(non-radioactive) and could be used for their exotic/new properties.
Chris report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

I can see the value

Oct 24, 2007 18:38     

Quantum Mechanics research needs all information it can get its hands-on. From what I understand we don't yet have a definitive understanding of what makes nuclei stable and under what terms. U never know what piece of data could lead to breakthrus in fusion development.
Pete Dixon report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

But why?

Oct 24, 2007 20:12     

MikeL... Clearly, you have not done your research. Isotopes are widely used by domestic and international customers for medicine, industry, research and homeland security applications. Infact, DOE provides isotopes when private sector supply is insufficient to meet U.S. needs. Its production is priced to recover costs and generated $10 million in revenues from 175 customers in 2005. Among medical applications, strontium-82 and thallium-201 are used for medical imaging to dianose diseases and injuries. Caifornium-252 is being tested to treat a variety of cancers, including advanced hypoxic tumors of the cervix. Nickel-63 is used in devices to detect explosives and drugs. Californium-252 is used in sulfur content analysis of petroleum to limit production of acid rain. The hope is to find new isotropes that can lead to more ways to help humanity. Read more about isotope research here http://www.nuclear.energy.gov/pdfFiles/isotope.pdf

NT report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Ha, too funny

Oct 24, 2007 20:40     

I had Dr. Morrissey for a thermodynamics prof at MSU. (he was part of the team that made this discovery) I hated him as a teacher but he is quite a brilliant scientist. Nice work though, cool to see MSU in the news.
2 five niner report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

useless

Oct 25, 2007 05:55     

Its says in the article that the isotopes were completely unstable and lasted for mere seconds. this type of thing wont help medicine, its just wasteful. ANd, if I'm reading this right, they expected them to be unstable. Useless. And weapons wise... are you joking? Unstable atoms can't be used as weapons (Plutonium and Uranium are actually quite stable). [I've never understood how these elements which last only thousandths or millionths of a second have any value whatsoever. Yet, our science funding continues to smash atoms to find out. If anyone has a good explanation about what we get out of Aluminum-43, for example, I'd like to read it. -Rick]

fadingtheory report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Basic properties of matter

Oct 25, 2007 12:37     

The article already said what it used for. It's to learn more about the basic properties of matter. "The neutron-limit, referred to as the neutron-dripline, is a basic property of matter. Yet remarkably, despite more than a half-century of inquiry, scientists know the dripline location only for the eight lightest elements, hydrogen to oxygen. So one very basic question – what’s the heaviest isotope of a given element that can exist? – remains unanswered for all but eight of the hundred or so elements on the Periodic Table."

Wildmage report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0