3 ms·
Isn't it the case it is currently not possible to create any neutron heavy isotopes and that causes the half-lives to be on the low end? All of these isotopes
by philipkglass 3y ago
Isn't it the case it is currently not possible to create any neutron heavy isotopes and that causes the half-lives to be on the low end?
All of these isotopes are neutron-heavy. Lawrencium 261 has 103 protons and 158 neutrons, for example.
In fact, the only stable isotopes with fewer neutrons than protons are helium 3 and ordinary hydrogen (protium).
- saalweachter 3y agoI think he's referring to the way that eg lawrencium has a half-life that ~increases with the neutrons in the isotopes we've produced, from seconds for Lr-256 to hours for Lr-266. It isn't crazy to postulate, as a layman, that if we synthesized Lr-276, say, it might have a longer half-life. (Not that we expect that pattern to continue indefinitely, but still, have we discovered the most stable isotope of lawrencium yet?)