Superheavy Element

Elements heavier than uranium that are increasingly unstable and radioactive (...with half lives measured in fractions of a second).

Description (Specifications)

No information yet available.

History & Background (Dossier)

Quantum theory predicts an Island of stability, consisting of the elements with atomic numbers 114 to 122, which have half-lives measured in the millions of years. These superheavy elements, also called eka-metals or island metals, are generated in small amounts in supernova explosions. Only a few grams have ever been discovered in nature, which is just enough for scientists to determine that superheavies would be immensely valuable to industry if a source could be found.

Meta

Elements from 114 through 118 have been produced at a number of scientific research locations around the world. None have been produced with sufficient neutrons to reach the magic number of neutrons and protons to reach the island of stability. One possible magic number of neutrons is 184, and some possible matching proton numbers are 114, 120 and 126. Most tests have shown these stable elements to have half-lives on the order of a few minutes, rather than the microseconds of other, similar, elements.

References & Contributors (Sources)

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This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), .
• Dave Nilsen. The Regency Sourcebook (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), 56.