Muonium: An Atom Similar to Hydrogen, Only No Protons!

Chemistry, Physics
[caption id="attachment_23970" align="alignright" width="480"] No proton![/caption] You heard correctly! From cosmic ray bombardments and particle accelerator experiments comes “muonium,” an other-worldly form of atom that, to a degree, resembles hydrogen. This atom is fascinating research scientists, along with another oddball, positronium. An Exotic Element… Sort Of There are some 90 naturally-occurring elements on Earth. There are more than a dozen other artificial elements, as well. Muonium is artificial, but not in the usual sense of the term. All of the more than one-hundred elements found in the periodic table consist of atoms made up of electrons traveling in orbitals about respective nuclei containing one or more protons and neutrons. Though muonium does have an electron orbiting a nucleus, it possesses no proton or neutron. Instead, it’s nucleus consists of an…
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