The Transuranium People

In this highly interesting book, three pioneering investigators provide an account of the discovery and investigation of the nuclear and chemical properties of the twenty presently known transuranium elements. The neutron irradiation of uranium led to the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938 and then to the first transuranium element, neptunium (atomic number 93), in 1940. Plutonium (94) quickly followed and the next nine elements completed the actinide series by 1961. Investigation of the chemical properties of the actinides was followed more recently by chemical studies of the first three transactinides -- rutherfordium (104), hahnium (105), and seaborgium (106). Recent discoveries have extended the known elements to 112.

Acknowledgments

xi

Glenn Theodore Seaborg (1912--1999)

xiii

Preface

xvii

Glossary

xci

Introduction

1

(27)

The Pretransuranium Story

1

(5)

Early Days at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory

6

(14)

Transplutonium Elements

20

(3)

Current Status

23

(5)

Neptunium and Plutonium

28

(15)

Discovery and Isolation of Neptunium

28

(3)

Discovery of Plutonium

31

(12)

Nuclear Fission of Plutonium

36

(2)

Epilogue: 244Pu in Nature

38

(5)

The Plutonium People

43

(57)

The Metallurgical (Plutonium) Project

43

(9)

Evolution of the Bismuth Phosphate Process

52

(8)

The Clinton Plant

60

(4)

Ultramicrochemistry

64

(2)

Isolation of Plutonium

66

(5)

The Hanford Plant

71

(6)

The Los Alamos Laboratory

77

(3)

Some Other Early Contributors

80

(15)

Properties of Plutonium

95

(1)

Publication

96

(1)

The Franck Report

97

(1)

Disposal of Plutonium

98

(2)

Americium and Curium

100

(30)

Berkelium and Californium

130

(25)

Introduction

130

(1)

Reminiscences on the Discovery of Berkelium and Californium

131

(24)

Glenn T. Seaborg

131

(12)

Stanley G. Thompson

143

(1)

Introduction

143

(1)

Glenn T. Seaborg

Reminiscences

143

(3)

Stanley G. Thompson

Albert Ghiorso

146

(1)

Introduction

146

(1)

Glenn T. Seaborg

Reminiscences

147

(4)

Albert Ghiorso

Kenneth Street, Jr.

151

(1)

Introduction

151

(1)

Glenn T. Seaborg

Reminiscences

151

(4)

Kenneth Street, Jr.

The ``Big Bang'': Discovery of Einsteinium and Fermium

155

(46)

The View from Los Alamos

156

(6)

The View from Berkeley

162

(25)

Naming of Elements 99 and 100

187

(3)

Microscopic Quantities

190

(1)

Publication

191

(1)

Limits to Production

192

(1)

Role of Spontaneous Fission

193

(3)

Commemorative Symposium

196

(1)

Outline of Important Points in the History of Elements 99 and 100

196

(5)

Mendelevium

201

(29)

Introduction

201

(1)

Tribute to Stanley G. Thompson

201

(1)

25th Anniversary Symposium

202

(1)

Introductory Remarks on the 1980 Symposium

202

(10)

Reminiscences from the 1980 Symposium

212

(14)

Albert Ghiorso

212

(1)

Introduction

212

(1)

Dr. Seaborg

Reminiscences

213

(4)

Dr. Ghiorso

Comments

217

(1)

Dr. Seaborg

Bernard G. Harvey

218

(1)

Introduction

218

(1)

Dr. Seaborg

Reminiscences

219

(2)

Dr. Harvey

Comments

221

(1)

Dr. Seaborg

Gregory F. Choppin

221

(1)

Introduction

221

(1)

Dr. Seaborg

Reminiscences

222

(4)

Dr. Choppin

Comments

226

(1)

Dr. Seaborg

Conclusion

226

(4)

Nobelium and Lawrencium

230

(28)

Introduction

230

(1)

Nobelium (Element 102)

231

(19)

The Nobel Institute Experiment of 1957

231

(6)

The Berkeley Work

237

(8)

The Dubna Work

245

(2)

The New Berkeley Work

247

(3)

Lawrencium (Element 103)

250

(8)

Rutherfordium and Hahnium

258

(42)

Introduction

258

(2)

Rutherfordium (Element 104)

259

(1)

Hahnium (Element 105)

260

(1)

Review of 104 and 105 Discovery Claims

260

(26)

Fission Isomers

261

(2)

Element 104

263

(10)

Chemical Experiments

273

(3)

Confirmation of the Berkeley Discovery

276

(1)

Attempts to Reconcile Measurements of the SF Half-Life of 260104

277

(5)

Element 105

282

(3)

Chemical Experiments

285

(1)

Recent Chemical Studies of Rutherfordium and Hahnium

286

(14)

Seaborgium

300

(28)

Discovery

300

(2)

The ``Untold Story'' of Seaborgium

302

(15)

Independent Confirmation and Naming of Element 106

317

(9)

First Studies of Chemical Properties of Seaborgium

326

(2)

Bohrium (107), Hassium (108), and Meitnerium (109)

328

(13)

Introduction: The UNILAC

328

(4)

Cold Fusion

332

(1)

SHIP

333

(3)

Bohrium (Element 107)

336

(2)

Hassium (Element 108)

338

(1)

Meitnerium (Element 109)

339

(2)

Elements 110, 111, and 112

341

(28)

Element 110

341

(24)

Berkeley's SASSY2

341

(17)

GSI's Improved SHIP and the UNILAC

358

(6)

Dubna's Gas-Filled Separator

364

(1)

Element 111

365

(2)

Element 112

367

(2)

Naming Controversies and the Transfermium Working Group

369

(31)

Establishment of the Transfermium Working Group

369

(2)

TWG Visit to Berkeley

371

(8)

Assignment of Priority of Discovery for Elements 101 Through 109

379

(8)

Naming by the IUPAC and Protest

387

(9)

IUPAC 1997 Approved the Names for Elements 101 Through 109

394

(2)

Names for Elements 110, 111, and 112

396

(4)

Searches for the Superheavy Elements

400

(34)

Introduction

400

(2)

Early Searches for SHE in Nature

402

(2)

Early Searches for SHE at Accelerators

404

(1)

Summary of Results up to 1978

405

(5)

Searches for SHE Since 1978

410

(3)

Some Notable Notable ``Nondiscoveries'' of SHE

413

(10)

Giant Halos and the Evidence for the ``Discovery'' of Elements 116, 124, 126, and 127

413

(4)

Superheavy Elements --- the Berkeley Near Miss of 1976

417

(6)

Future Searches for SHE

423

(11)

Epilogue

425

(9)

Reflections and Predictions

434

(7)

Name Index

441

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

The Transuranium People

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials