Victor Ninov () was a researcher in the nuclear chemistry group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who was alleged to have fabricated the evidence used to claim the creation of ununoctium and ununhexium. When the results proved to be unrepeatable by the Berkeley group and other laboratories around the world, an internal investigation was convened. The result of the investigation was that Dr. Ninov's work had been "fraudulent" and an unusually high-profile scandal followed. Ninov was fired in 2001 after claiming that the unique design of his apparatus was responsible for the faulty evidence leading to the alleged new elements. Dr. Ninov continues to deny vigorously any wrong-doing and maintains his innocence of any intent to commit fraud.

His hiring by the laboratory from GSI had been considered a coup: he had been involved in the discovery of elements 110 (now named darmstadtium), 111 (now named roentgenium) and 112 and was considered one of the leading experts at using the complex types of software needed to detect the decay chain of unstable transuranium elements. Ninov's work at GSI was also called into question by his colleagues because subsequent re-analysis of the GSI data found that it had been altered.

He now works at the University of the Pacific.

External links

• Sanacacio.net – Article on the Ninov controversy
• Ninov's UoP Home Page

Nuclear physicists | American physicists | Scientific misconduct