Calcium-48

Calcium-48 is a stable calcium isotope with 20 protons and 28 neutrons. Its neutron-rich nucleus makes it valuable in heavy-ion experiments and research on superheavy elements.

Superheavy element synthesis: The production of elements with very high atomic numbers through nuclear reactions, usually between heavy-ion projectiles and target nuclei. Calcium-48 projectiles helped produce several superheavy elements by fusing with actinide targets.
Isotope: One of several forms of an element, distinguished by its number of neutrons. Calcium-48 differs from other calcium isotopes by having 28 neutrons.
Heavy-ion fusion: A nuclear reaction in which two atomic nuclei collide and merge, often forming a heavier nucleus. Heavy-ion fusion combines calcium-48 with a target nucleus to create a heavier compound nucleus.
Calcium-40: The most abundant stable calcium isotope, with 20 protons and 20 neutrons. Unlike calcium-48, calcium-40 has fewer neutrons and is not doubly magic.
Tennessine: Tennessine is element 117, a synthetic element first produced by bombarding berkelium-249 with calcium-48 ions. Calcium-48 was the projectile in the reactions that established element 117.
Atomic number: The number of protons in an atom's nucleus, which determines its chemical element. Its 20 protons give calcium-48 the atomic number of calcium.
Cold fusion (nuclear physics): A heavy-element synthesis strategy using reactions that form relatively low-excitation compound nuclei. Calcium-48 reactions often follow this low-excitation approach to improve survival of superheavy products.
Calcium-44: A stable calcium isotope with 20 protons and 24 neutrons. Calcium-44 shows how neutron number changes within stable calcium isotopes.
Flerovium: Flerovium is element 114, a synthetic element produced in fusion reactions involving calcium-48 and actinide targets. Calcium-48 beams enabled experiments that confirmed flerovium's production.
Mass number: The total number of protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus. The 20 protons and 28 neutrons sum to calcium-48's mass number.

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