Abstract
WE have presented evidence1 for the possible existence of a superheavy element with atomic number 112. This evidence came principally from the observation of spontaneous fission activity in a mercury source separated from a tungsten target which had been irradiated by 24 GeV protons. It was subsequently shown2 that at a later stage 70% of the fission activity was due to 252Cf . The origin of the remaining 30% of the fission activity was unexplained, however, although measurements of the activity made when the source was first produced indicated that it could not then have been due to 252Cf.
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BATTY, C., KILVINGTON, A., WEIL, J. et al. Search for Superheavy Elements and Actinides Produced by Secondary Reactions in a Tungsten Target. Nature 244, 429–430 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/244429a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/244429a0
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