“Maybe now planning further SHE studies we are at some new frontiers…”

From the interview of Academician V.A.Matveev, JINR Scientific leader on the JINR new seven-year plan
August 26,2022

“…Speaking of priorities the previous two seven-year plans were based on certain principles of the Institute development and the new program we are preparing now is mostly based on the results of realization of the previous one.

Our main basic projects which are of strategic importance are first of all in carrying on studies of superheavy element physics. Principal development of this direction is planned, meaning going beyond the problems of search for Mendeleev Table boundaries, search for elements heavier than oganeson with number 118 and advancing in the study of SHE physics, their internal structure, chemical properties of atoms formed by these superheavy elements. Big surprises for physicists and chemists and unexpected discoveries are quite likely here.

Ultrarelativistic nature of motion of SHE atom bound electrons may lead as it was already discovered in FLNR experiments, to a shift of chemical properties of such atoms compared to those predicted according to their places in Mendeleev Table. If happen so then Mendeleev Periodic Laws may change in some degree beyond the now known limits of the Periodic Table.

Who knows, maybe now planning the further SHE studies we are at some new frontiers as in its time the new mechanics based on relativity theory was created to describe ultrarelativistic speeds. Maybe we are really on the threshold of the new discoveries of the qualitative regularities beyond traditional formulations of classical chemistry and physics.”