Moscovium is a synthetic, highly radioactive element made in accelerator labs and studied almost exclusively through brief, controlled experiments. Its isotopes are created in fusion reactions and tracked by decay signatures rather than found in nature, so summaries help make sense of the limited data.
There are 6 Moscovium Isotopes, ranging from Moscovium-287 to Moscovium-292. For each, you’ll find below data organized with Mass number,Half-life (s),Decay (mode → daughter), and concise notes on detection methods — you’ll find below.
What decay modes are most common for these isotopes?
Most Moscovium isotopes decay by alpha emission, often in chains that produce lighter, known nuclei; some may undergo spontaneous fission. Experimental reports list the observed primary decay mode and the daughter nucleus, which helps confirm isotope identification in short-lived samples.
How are the half-lives of Moscovium isotopes measured?
Half-lives are determined by detecting decay events from produced atoms and fitting an exponential decay curve to the counts over time; because production rates are low and lifetimes are short, measurements rely on rapid separation, sensitive detectors, and statistical analysis to estimate seconds- or millisecond-scale half-lives.
Moscovium Isotopes
| Isotope | Mass number | Half-life (s) | Decay (mode → daughter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moscovium-287 | 287 | 0.65 | α → Nihonium-283 |
| Moscovium-288 | 288 | 0.20 | α → Nihonium-284 |
| Moscovium-289 | 289 | 0.34 | α → Nihonium-285 |
| Moscovium-290 | 290 | 0.06 | α (and SF) → Nihonium-286 |
| Moscovium-291 | 291 | ≈1.0 | Predicted: α → Nihonium-287 |
| Moscovium-292 | 292 | ≈10.0 | Predicted: α and SF → Nihonium-288 |
Images and Descriptions
Moscovium-287
Observed in 48Ca + 243Am fusion experiments at Dubna; decays mainly by alpha to 283Nh. Multiple decay chains recorded; considered experimentally reported and reasonably well confirmed by joint international measurements.
Moscovium-288
First reported from 48Ca fusion work at JINR (Dubna); alpha decay chains linked it to known daughters. Short-lived and produced one-atom-at-a-time in heavy-ion experiments; status: experimentally observed and confirmed.
Moscovium-289
Produced in hot-fusion 48Ca reactions with actinide targets; alpha decay dominates and decays to 285Nh. Multiple decay events recorded across experiments; regarded as an established, experimentally observed isotope.
Moscovium-290
Reported in Dubna fusion experiments with 48Ca; shows alpha decay with some spontaneous-fission branch leading to various fission fragments. Short half-life; experimentally observed but rare and measured with limited statistics.
Moscovium-291
Predicted/unconfirmed: theoretical models and evaluated nuclear-data tables list Mc-291 as possible; not firmly observed experimentally. Included here as a peer-reviewed prediction—labelled unconfirmed pending experimental detection.
Moscovium-292
Predicted/unconfirmed: some nuclear-structure models forecast Mc-292 with longer half-life and competing alpha/spontaneous-fission decay. Listed in authoritative predictions but not yet experimentally reported.
