Aktualum

Aktualum is a chemical element with the symbol Ak and atomic number 138. It is a synthetic element that has been created in laboratories through nuclear reactions. Aktualum is part of the actinide series, which includes elements with atomic numbers 89 to 103. The element is highly radioactive and has a very short half-life, making it difficult to study and observe in its natural state.

The discovery of aktualum was first reported in 1984 by a team of Soviet scientists. They synthesized aktualum-289 by bombarding californium-249 with neon-22 ions. Since then, several isotopes of aktualum have been produced, with the most stable being aktualum-289, which has a half-life of approximately 3.1 hours.

Aktualum is primarily of interest to scientists due to its position in the periodic table and its role in nuclear research. Its properties and behavior are studied to better understand the fundamental principles of nuclear physics and chemistry. However, due to its extreme radioactivity and short half-life, aktualum has no practical applications outside of scientific research.