Asteroid 33 Polyhymnia presents a problem…of mass. Its calculated density cannot be explained by any of the previously known natural elements listed in the famous periodic table. There is no doubt in scientists’ minds: there are extremely dense elements in our solar system that we have never observed or synthesized.
This will also interest you
[EN VIDÉO] The sound of the elements of the periodic table The chemical elements of the periodic table emit light. According to a spectrum that…
The periodic table is a classroom landmark, showcasing all known chemical elements. While many of these occur in nature, others have been synthesized by humans through nuclear reactions at the heart of particle accelerators. Among natural elements, osmium is the densest stable element known to date. At least on Earth. Because it could well be that there are even denser elements in the universe that are unknown in the periodic table.
An asteroid too heavy for our periodic table
This hypothesis arose after observing an asteroid called 33 Polyhymnia, which occurs in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. By calculating the mass density of this asteroid, researchers realized that it must be composed of elements still unknown to the battalion. In fact, it is impossible to determine the density of 33 Polyhymnia from the natural elements of the periodic table, even the densest such as osmium, which has 76 protons.
So there are certainly many elements with a much higher atomic number. However, these are not observed in nature. These experimentally created elements with more than 94 protons are much heavier but unstable and radioactive and often have a very short lifespan. It is therefore impossible for these to be included in the composition of an asteroid. However, models suggest that there may be another nuclear stability field for elements with around 164 protons.
These currently only theoretical elements would have densities between 36 and 68.4 g/cm3. For comparison: Osmium has a density of 22.6 g/cm3. The density of 33 Polyhymnia could therefore be explained if the asteroid were composed to a significant extent of these superheavy metals with certainly very exotic properties. These results were published in The European Physical Journal Plus.
Despite our ability to defy nature, humans would still be far from having explored the enormous wealth of our solar system!