Breakthrough in Synthesizing Element 116 Paves Way for Element 120

Berkeley Lab scientists achieve a significant milestone using a titanium beam, opening new possibilities for superheavy elements.

Researchers at Berkeley Lab successfully created element 116 using a titanium beam, a first in the field.
This proof-of-concept is vital for the future synthesis of element 120, which could take years to achieve.
Element 120, if discovered, would be the heaviest atom and may exhibit unique stability properties.
The experiment involved 22 days of operations and produced two atoms of element 116.
The new method could expand the periodic table and provide deeper insights into nuclear physics.