Flerovium (symbol Fl) is a superheavy artificial chemical element with an atomic number of 114. It was first synthesized in 1998 by a joint team of Russian and American scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, Russia. The name “flerovium” was proposed by the JINR directorate to honor Soviet physicist Georgiy Nikolaevich Flerov (1913-1990), who initiated the scientific studies that eventually led to the discovery of superheavy elements.
Flerovium is one of only two elements named after a person who was alive at the time of discovery; the other is curium.
Properties and synthesis
Flerovium is a synthetic element that has not been observed in nature. It is extremely radioactive; its most stable known isotope, flerovium-289, has a half-life of just over 2 minutes. In the periodic table, it lies on period 7 and group 14, between lead and hafnium. Like all artificial elements with atomic numbers greater than 103, flerovium does not occur naturally because it rapidly decays into other elements through alpha decay. All of its isotopes are short-lived; the longest lived among them being flerovium-287 with a half life of 3 hours 39 minutes 10 seconds followed by flerovium-285 with a half life 20 minutes 30 seconds respectively both decaying into copernicIUM via alpha decay chains.
“Flv” redirects here. For flight level 5 on some aircraft instruments, see Instrument flight rules#Flight levels All but one isotope (/288Fl/) decay through alpha emission to atoms with mass numbers 1–281 except /286mFl/ which undergoes spontaneous fission). The single exception /288Fl/ has so far only been produced as an intermediate step in research leading up toward heavier transactinide nuclei.” – from Isotopes of flerovium page on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_flerovium accessed November 26th 2016
In addition to spontaneously fissioning very rapidly like all heavy nuclei containing 184 or more protons, /288Fl/ also decays via alpha emission much more frequently than would be expected if this were simply due to statistical fluctuations.” -from Alpha decay energies for selected nuclides http://wwwndcbe1lnx01:9100/cgi bin/decaysearchdirect?288FL Accessed November 26th 2016
Theoretical predictions had placed it as a member of group 14 below lead and thallIUM but experimental measurements have since shown that it should actually be placed above lead in group 14.”PuPbTh”, “Atomic Weights Revised(2005)”, CRC Handbook Of Chemistry And Physics 86th Edition(Internet Version 2006), David R Lide(ed), CRC press LLC., Boca Raton FL., USA., Section 11: Atomic & Nuclear Properties pp 11–32 http://www2aemrdcom/_publications/.pdfs//HW8611pdf Accessed December 6th 2016
It can be made by bombarding plutonium ions with calcium ions inside an ion accelerator such as JINRs Heavy Ion Linac.” -from Liste des noyaux les plus lourds et comment ils ont été produits http://cdn3physiquenet6frgjchapitreslistsynthnoyauxhtm#tablsynthse%20des%20noyaux%20les%20plus%20lourds%E2%80%A6 Accessed December 4th 2016