The festive ceremony on the occasion of the discovery and naming new chemical elements of the Periodic table of D.I. Mendeleev with atomic numbers 115 (Moscovium), 117 (Tennessine) and 118 (Oganesson) was held on 2 March 2017 in the Central Club of Scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Among the participants there were RF Minister of Education and Science of Russia Olga Vasilyeva, Deputy Minister, in the recent past Vice-Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Academician Grigory Trubnikov, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Natalia Tarasova, President Designate of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Kennedy Reed, Director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Dr. Thomas Mason, Director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Dr. William Goldstein, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Lev Zeleny, President of the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society Aslan Tsivadze. The ceremony was also attended by leaders and official representatives of all the world-leading research centres working in the fields of synthesis of superheavy elements, including the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, scientists and specialists from JINR and the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, partners from Russian scientific centers and the JINR Member States.

— I’m honored to be a part of such an important and truly historical event, RF Minister of education and science Olga Vasilieva said in her speech. — The Periodic table of D.I. Mendeleev has been joined by new superheavy elements. The discovery of these elements as well as the fact that two of them have names associated with Russia and the Russian scientists — moscovium, element 115 in honour of the Moscow land and oganesson, element 118 in honour of Yuri Oganessian — of course, can be attributed to the most brilliant achievements of our time.

Photos are courtesy of the Press Service of the RF Ministry of Education and Science

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— The sophistication and scale of tasks scientists are facing today are of such nature that to solve them many countries have to join their efforts, the Minister noted. — The research that led us to today’s event is an excellent example of joint work of the staff of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and our colleagues from the United States of America. This fact of collaboration is important in history because the third element – tennessine, element 117 was named in honour of the state, where the famous Oak Ridge National Laboratory is situated.

President of the IUPAC, Professor Natalia Tarasova held the inauguration ceremony of the new elements.

— The discovery of new elements was a dream of many generations of scientists, but only favored few have succeeded.

The inauguration ceremony included the scientific Colloquium which was opened with a welcoming speech of JINR Vice-Director Mikhail Itkis. Academician Yuri Oganessian made a report on synthesis of new superheavy elements at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (2 March is birthday day of Georgy Nikolaevich Flerov, and this day was specially chosen for the ceremony) and his colleague from the Michigan State University Professor Witold Nazarewicz devoted his report to element 118 oganesson. Vice-President of the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge Sir Martin Polyakoff created a furor – with a creative team of the University of Nottingham they have made movies about each of the 118 elements of the Periodic Table, and they have been, in particular, in Dubna also. GANIL Deputy Director Professor Marek Lewitowicz, Professor Sigurd Hofmann from GSI, Director of the RIKEN Nishina Center Hideto Enyo delivered their welcoming speeches and greetings. The first day of the Colloquium was finished with a speech of Head of the JINR Committee of Plenipotentiaries Latchesar Kostov.

On 3 March, the Colloquium continued its work in Dubna, in the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions JINR.

Vera Fedorova