As it stands, though, we lack the technology to squeeze enough neutrons into the synthesized nucleus -- and a nucleus with the wrong number of neutrons is very unstable.

The finding could be put to use at a new facility opening in 2020 that might create new elements—that is, nuclei with more than 118 protons—in addition to new isotopes of the known elements Scientists ...

Gold and platinum “We found that this light-based process can create a large number of neutrons,” Mumpower says. “There may be enough neutrons produced this way to build heavy elements, from gold and ...

Each distinct chemical element is characterized by a specific number of protons, but can have varying numbers of neutrons. These different versions of an element are called isotopes.

Atoms are made up of a nucleus, protons and electrons. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Atoms are the basic units of matter.