Moscovium

Moscovium is a synthetic chemical element with atomic number 115 and symbol Mc. All its known isotopes are radioactive, and none is stable.

Atomic number: The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus, which defines its chemical element. Moscovium is element 115 because each of its nuclei contains 115 protons.
Joint Institute for Nuclear Research: An international research center for nuclear science located in Dubna, Russia. The Dubna team conducted the experiments that produced the first reported moscovium nuclei.
Nuclear reaction: A process that changes an atomic nucleus through interactions with particles or other nuclei. The fusion reaction creates moscovium nuclei rather than assembling ordinary chemical matter.
Moscovium-289: A radioactive isotope of moscovium with mass number 289, observed in experiments on element 115. This isotope is among the moscovium nuclei studied through production and decay measurements.
Element 113: The chemical element with atomic number 113 and symbol Nh, first officially recognized from experiments at RIKEN. Nihonium was also recognized from decay-chain evidence connected to element 115 experiments.
Isotope: One of several forms of an element, distinguished by the number of neutrons in its nuclei. Moscovium’s known isotopes differ in neutron count and radioactive lifetime.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: A United States national laboratory that conducts research in science, engineering, and national security. Livermore researchers supplied expertise and materials for the discovery collaboration.
Fusion-evaporation reaction: A heavy-ion reaction in which a fused nucleus emits particles, often neutrons, and leaves a heavier product nucleus. The discovery reaction formed excited compound nuclei that could emit neutrons and become moscovium.
Relativistic chemistry: The study of chemical effects arising from the high speeds of electrons in heavy atoms. Relativistic effects may influence moscovium’s predicted chemical properties.
Element 117: The synthetic chemical element with atomic number 117 and symbol Ts. Tennessine was produced in a neighboring research program using related heavy-ion methods.

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