Is this true, or is it just bs

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of the island of stability in nuclear physics, where certain elements with a high number of protons and neutrons may have longer half-lives compared to other elements. The stability is relative and there is speculation about the most stable isotopes, with some suggesting 299 or 345 as potential candidates.
  • #1
Forestman
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When I was in high school someone told me once that for some strange reason that I do not understand that elements would start becoming stable again after reaching the atomic number 115. I don't see how this would be possible though because it seems like the positive force of so many protons would blow it apart.
 
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  • #3
Thanks mgb_phys, I have always wondered about that.
 
  • #4
The stability is relative not absolute. Specifically, in the island of stability the half-lives are expected to be longer than for nuclides with a few less protons.
 
  • #5
If 115 offers a magic number isotope, is there any guess as to what that half-life would be? I see that 288 was synthesized and seems have a h/l of ~ 85 ms. I also read that there was speculation that 299 would be the most stable isotope, but I also read that 345 (wow) should be the most stable, considering "hindrance of fission by odd particles." I haven't seen any speculation on just how stable 345 might be, though, and I was wondering if there have been any such guesses made.
 
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