A highly radioactive metal, of which only a few atoms have ever been made.

Fact Box

Uses

At present, it is only used in research.

History

In 1968, a team led by Georgy Flerov at the Russian Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) bombarded americium with neon and made an isotope of element 105. In 1970, a team led by Albert Ghiorso at the American Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) bombarded californium with neon and obtained isotope 261. They disputed the claim of the JINR people. The two groups gave it different names. The Russians called it neilsbohrium, while the Americans called it hahnium, both being derived from the names of prominent nuclear scientists.