californium [Cf]

Introduction

Named after the state of California. Produced in 1950 by Stanley G Thompson, Kenneth Street Jr, Albert Ghiorno & Glenn T Seaborg at the University of California, Berkeley using a cyclotron to bombard curium-242 with alpha-particles.

Occurrence

• does NOT occur naturally
• artificially produced

Characteristics

• silvery metal
• very radioactive: a strong neutron emittor

Uses

• californium-252 is used in radiation therapy
• portable neutron source in
  • core analysis in drilling oil wells
  • discovery of metals such as gold & silver

More general terms

• actinide
• radioactive element

Additional terms

• periodic table