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The newly-named element, Nihonium, marks Japanese scientists as the first from an Asian country to name an atomic element. The government-backed Riken research institute has said its proposed name for the atomic element 113 “nihonium” has been approved by an international body. The name, coined by a team of researchers at the institute, combines “Nihon” (Japan) with a general suffix for substances, and has the atomic symbol “Nh.” Kosuke Morita, a Kyushu University professor who led the team, welcomed the decision by the U.S.-based body. Nihonium is a superheavy, synthetically-made element with a half-life of less than a thousandth of a second — making it difficult to discover or put into practical use. The artificially synthesized element has 113 protons in its nucleus. Morita’s group created the element by colliding zinc ions with bismuth, which have 30 protons and 83 protons, respectively.

Photo by Research Promotion Bureau Basic Research Promotion Division. Licensed under the Government of Japan (http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/1351168.htm).

Tags: technology, science, chemistry, Nihonium, Riken Research Institute, Atomic Element 113, Nihon, Kosuke Morita, japan, Nh, proton, bismuth