Current Schedule

Speaker = Prof. Dr. Patrick Julian Steinegger of the PSI Center for Nuclear Engineering and Science (Switzerland)

Host = Kathi Domnanich domnanic@frib.msu.edu

When = 2026-01-21 Wednesday

Where = FRIB 1300

Please feel free to sign up below, but note that some slots may need to be re-assigned to accommodate those with a specific need to meet the speaker. If this happens, the Admin or Speaker Host will reach out to you via email.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Title = Gone in 60 milliseconds – Chemistry Experiments with (Super)heavy Elements

Abstract

Chemically characterizing superheavy elements (Z > 103) helps us understand how relativistic effects shape the chemistry of the (superheavy) members of the periodic table. As there is no evidence for their existence in nature, short-lived radioisotopes of these exotic elements must be produced one atom at a time using intense heavy-ion beams from large accelerators directed onto heavy actinide targets. The recoiling nuclear reaction products emerge with translational energies of several tens of MeV - far beyond what chemists would normally consider “useful.” But how can one perform a chemistry experiment under such unusual conditions, and what chemical information can be extracted? This talk will first introduce the basic principles of gas-phase chemistry experiments with superheavy elements. It will then highlight selected case studies, focusing on moscovium (Mc, Z = 115) and nihonium (Nh, Z = 113) as well as livermorium (Lv, Z = 116). Finally, we will explore how these fundamental experiments connect to more applied topics, including their relevance to Generation IV nuclear reactor concepts.

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