Einsteinium

Einsteinium is a synthetic element with the symbol Es and atomic number 99. It is a member of the actinide series and it is the seventh transuranic element. Einsteinium was discovered as a component of the debris of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952, and named after Albert Einstein.

History

Einsteinium was first identified in December 1952 by Albert Ghiorso and his team at the University of California, Berkeley while analyzing the debris from the Ivy Mike nuclear test. The team discovered einsteinium-253, which has a half-life of 20.5 days. The discovery was kept secret and only released to the public in 1955 due to the Cold War.

Characteristics

Einsteinium is a heavy, synthetic, silvery-white, radioactive metal. Its most common isotope einsteinium-253 (half-life 20.47 days) is produced artificially from decay of californium-253 in a few dedicated high-power nuclear reactors with a total yield on the order of one milligram per year. The bulk properties of einsteinium are not known with any certainty. It is expected to be a solid metal with a face-centered cubic crystal structure.

Applications

Due to its high radioactivity, einsteinium has no known uses outside of basic scientific research. Einsteinium has been used to produce higher numbered elements, including mendelevium and fermium.

Health effects

Einsteinium is highly radioactive and therefore dangerous to health. It behaves like other heavy metals and accumulates in bones, which can lead to cancer.

See also

• Actinide
• Transuranic element
• Nuclear reactor
• Radioactive decay

References

Einsteinium Resources
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