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Article: Taking a shine to number 100. (Physics).(fermium)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- May 31, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Scientists have for the first time literally shed light on properties of the radioactive element fermium--a metal discovered some 50 years ago.
Spectroscopy, or the measurement of the wavelengths of light that materials emit or absorb, is a standard way to probe characteristics of materials, including what energy levels their electrons can assume. However, spectroscopy of heavy elements, such as artificially made fermium, element number 100, is difficult because such substances are scarce and decay soon after they're made.
Now, Harmut Backe and Norbert Trautmann of the University of Mainz in Germany and their ...