berkelium (Bk) A synthetic, radioactive, metallic element of the actinide series; also a transuranic element. It was first made in 1949 by alpha particle bombardment of americium-241 by S. G. Thompson and coworkers at the University of California at Berkeley (after which it is named). It can also be prepared by bomabrding curium-244 with neutrons. Less than a gram is made each year. Nine isotopes are known the most stable of which is 247Bk (half-life 1.4 × 103 yr).
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