What is the significance of the newly discovered isotope, Mendelevium-244?

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In summary, a team of scientists at Berkeley Lab has discovered a new form of mendelevium, called mendelevium-244, which is the 17th and lightest form of the element with atomic number 101. This isotope was created using a spallation reaction with a half-life of 0.4 seconds and 6 seconds. It has potential applications in nuclear medicine and studying nuclear structure.
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A team of scientists working at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has discovered a new form of the human-made element mendelevium. The newly created isotope, mendelevium-244, is the 17th and lightest form of mendelevium, which is element Z=101 on the periodic table.
https://phys.org/news/2020-06-isotope-mendelevium-.html

Mendelevium was first created by Berkeley Lab scientists in 1955. In the latest discovery, the team used Berkeley Lab's 88-Inch Cyclotron to bombard a target foil of 209Bi with 40Ar nuclei to make mendelevium-244. I presume that's a spallation reaction emitting 5 neutrons, since Z(Bi) = 83 and Z(Ar) = 18, and Z(Bi)+Z(Ar)=Z(Md) = 101.

Researchers found evidence that mendelevium-244 has two separate chains of decay, each leading to a different half-life: 0.4 second and 6 seconds, based on different energy configurations of particles in its nucleus.

https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2020/06/23/introducing-a-new-isotope-mendelevium-244/
 
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This new isotope of mendelevium has potential applications in nuclear medicine, as its relatively long decay times may enable it to be used to create medical isotopes for imaging and therapy. It could also be used for studies of nuclear structure and the synthesis of other transactinide elements.
 

1. What is Mendelevium-244?

Mendelevium-244 is a radioactive isotope of the element mendelevium. It has 244 protons and neutrons in its nucleus, giving it an atomic mass of 244.

2. How was Mendelevium-244 discovered?

Mendelevium-244 was first discovered in 1955 by a team of scientists at the University of California, Berkeley. They bombarded a sample of einsteinium-253 with neutrons, creating a new isotope of mendelevium.

3. What are the uses of Mendelevium-244?

Mendelevium-244 is primarily used for scientific research and is not found in any practical applications. It has a very short half-life of only a few hours, making it difficult to study and handle.

4. How is Mendelevium-244 produced?

Mendelevium-244 is produced through the process of nuclear transmutation, where a nucleus is bombarded with particles to create a new element or isotope. In the case of Mendelevium-244, einsteinium-253 is bombarded with neutrons to create the new isotope.

5. What are the potential dangers of Mendelevium-244?

As a radioactive isotope, Mendelevium-244 can be dangerous if not handled properly. It emits high-energy particles that can damage living cells and cause radiation poisoning. However, due to its short half-life, the risk of exposure is low and it is not considered a significant health hazard.

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