einsteinium

American  

[ahyn-stahy-nee-uhm] / aɪnˈstaɪ ni əm /

noun

Chemistry, Physics.

1. a transuranic element. Es; 99.

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einsteinium British  

/ aɪnˈstaɪnɪəm /

noun

1. a metallic transuranic element artificially produced from plutonium. Symbol: Es; atomic no: 99; half-life of most stable isotope, ²⁵² Es: 276 days

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einsteinium Scientific  

/ īn-stī′nē-əm /

1. A synthetic, radioactive metallic element of the actinide series that is usually produced by bombarding plutonium or another element with neutrons. It was first isolated in a region near the explosion site of a hydrogen bomb. Its longest-lived isotope is Es 254 with a half-life of 276 days. Atomic number 99; melting point 860°C.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of einsteinium

1950–55; named after Albert Einstein; see -ium

Example Sentences

Nowadays, focus has shifted to supernova explosions and anomalous stars such as Przybylski's star, whose spectrum shows signs of einsteinium, which is otherwise never found in nature.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 30, 2019

Many are named after great scientists: einsteinium, curium, fermium, mendelevium, bohrium and rutherfordium.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2014

The discoveries, of einsteinium and fermium, were initially kept secret for security reasons, then unveiled in 1955, not long after the scientists they had been named after had died.

From New York Times • Jan. 30, 2014

Compare the resonance of einsteinium and promethium to chromosome 7 and chromosome 21.

From Slate • Jul. 9, 2012

Because the most recently discovered transuranium elements decompose quickly, the scientists hurriedly analyzed the einsteinium target after the bombardment.

From Time Magazine Archive