Urchromium

Urchromium is a chemical element with the symbol Urc and atomic number 120. It is a synthetic element and is not found naturally on Earth. Urchromium was first synthesized in 2003 by a team of Russian and American scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. The element was created by bombarding plutonium-244 with calcium-48 ions in a heavy ion accelerator.

Urchromium is a member of the actinide series, which includes elements with atomic numbers 89 to 103. It is expected to have similar chemical properties to its lighter actinide neighbors, such as nobelium and lawrencium. However, due to its short half-life and the difficulty in producing and studying it, very little is known about its chemical behavior.

The most stable isotope of urchromium is Urc-296, which has a half-life of approximately 0.89 milliseconds. This makes it one of the shortest-lived elements known. The synthesis of urchromium is a challenging process, and only a few atoms of the element have been produced to date.

The name "urchromium" is a temporary systematic name given by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). A permanent name for the element has not yet been decided. The element is currently under review by the IUPAC for a permanent name.

Urchromium's discovery and synthesis are significant contributions to the field of nuclear chemistry and the study of superheavy elements. However, due to its extreme rarity and short half-life, it is unlikely to have any practical applications.