Stable Super-heavy Element in Nature

In this post I briefly outline the nuclear chemistry that is the background for my novel, Copernicium-296. If a stable super-heavy element in nature is found it could be the basis for harvesting quantum energy from the vacuum of space. This post discusses the chemistry of a stable super-heavy element in nature.

One model of the atomic nucleus postulates a shell structure inside the nucleus similar to electron shells in an atom. The nucleus shells are sequentially filled in with nucleons (protons and neutrons) for successively larger nuclei. That is,elements and their isotopes in the Periodic Table. An element with an isotope that has a filled shell has unique properties. One of these is increased stability against radioactive disintegration. A filled shell is denoted by “magic numbers” for the number of nucleons in the shell. Nucleons refer to protons, denoted Z, and neutrons, denoted N. The total nucleons in a nucleus is the isotope’s mass number, denoted A. It is the sum, Z+N [A = Z + N]).

Magic Numbers Show Which Isotopes are Stable

In a filled shell, the number of nucleons is called a magic number. A magic number can be associated with Z, N, or A in the filled shell. The known magic numbers are 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, and 126. Any element that has a Z, N, or A equal to a magic number is more stable than its neighbors. For example, tin (Z = 50), has 10 stable isotopes, whereas indium (Z = 49) and antimony (Z = 51) have only 2 stable isotopes each. The numbers 114 and 184 may also be magic numbers, though this remains unproven. A particular case of stability is observed when both Z + N is magic numbers.

Magic Numbers for Stable Super-heavy Elements

In my Science Fiction novel, Copernicium-296, a key underlying plot element is the discovery of an isotope of Copernicium with 184 neutrons. The plot imagines that this isotope is a stable super-heavy element in nature. If not stable it would have to be very long-lived, or essentially stable. The number, 296, is the isotope’s mass number (A); that is, it the total number of nucleons in the nucleus (A=Z+N). In scientific literature the mass number of an isotope is often appended to its name or its symbol. For the Copernicium in my novel (Z=112) the mass number, A, is 296 (A=112+184=296), hence the name of the novel. A very long-lived isotope of Copernicium would be unusual and could turn out to be extremely valuable.