2. Rutherfordium(Rf)
an artificially produced radioactive transuranium element in Group IVb of the periodic table,
atomic number 104. Soviet scientists at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna,
Russia, U.S.S.R., announced in 1964 the discovery of element 104, which they named
kurchatovium, symbol Ku (for Igor Kurchatov, a Soviet nuclear physicist). In 1969, a group of
American researchers at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory of the University of California at
Berkeley announced that they had identified isotopes of the element, different from the one
identified by the Soviets; the Americans then proposed the name rutherfordium, in honour of
the British physicist Ernest Rutherford.
3. During 1964, scientists at Dubna in
Russia claimed discovery of element 104
and suggested the name Kurchatovium
and symbol Ku for the element, in honour
of Igor Vasilevich Kurchatov (1903-1960),
the late Head of Soviet Nuclear Research
4. In 1969 an American group at
Berkeley (California) in the USA
reported isotopes of Element 104. Their
experiments involved reaction high
energy collisions between 249Cf and
12C
5. Biological role
Rutherfordiumhas no knownbiological role
Natural abundance
Rutherfordiumis a transuranium element. It is created by bombarding
californium-249with carbon-12nuclei
6. Image explanation
The abstract metallic symbol and background are inspired by imagery
from early and modern particle accelerators.
Appearance
A radioactive metal that does not occur naturally. Relatively few atoms
have ever been made.
Uses
At present, it is only used in research.
