BERLIN (AFP) — A new chemical super-heavy element discovered in a German laboratory has been officially recognised after more than 10 years: and now all it needs is a name.
Professor Sigurd Hofmann's team at the Centre for Heavy Ion Research (GSI) in the western city of Darmstadt created the new element by firing a beam of charged zinc ions at lead atoms to form the nucleus of the new element, provisionally called 112.
The 1996 experiment has been officially recognised by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, which has asked the pioneering team to come up with a name in six months.
The BBC has also asked Internet users to propose a name.
"We are delighted now that the sixth element -- and thus all the elements discovered at GSI during the past 30 years -- has been officially recognised," Hofmann said.
"During the next few weeks, the scientists of the discovering team will deliberate on a new name for the element."
Fusion elements at the centre have already shown the existence of elements with the atomic numbers 107-111. Their numbers indicate the numbers of protons, which together with neutrons, give the atom most of its mass.
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