What is Einsteinium, the mysterious element named after Albert Einstein?

Context

• A team of scientists at the Berkeley Lab has reported some of the properties of element 99 in the periodic table called “Einsteinium”, named after Albert Einstein.

About Einsteinium

• Einsteiniumis a synthetic element with the symbol Es and atomic number 99.
• It is a member of the actinide series.
• It is the seventh transuranic element. 
• It was discovered in 1952 in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb.
• It has been under-tested because it is difficult to create and is highly radioactive.
• Therefore, very little is known about this element.

What did the researchers find?

• The team worked with einsteinium-254, one of the more stable isotopes of the element that has a half-life of 276 days.
• The most common isotope of the element, einsteinium 253 has a half-life of 20 days.
• Because of its high radioactivity and short half-life of all einsteinium isotopesit has mostly decayed. This is the reason that it cannot be found in nature and needs to be manufactured.

How the research is significant?

• Functioning: Scientists find out how it bonds with atoms.
• Chemical analysis: Scientists can find out interesting chemical properties of other elements and isotopes that may be useful for nuclear power production and radiopharmaceuticals.