ari ▁Second ▁Division ▁players ▁Category : Associ ation ▁football ▁mid field ers <0x0A> </s> ▁B ery l li um - 8 ▁( 8 Be , ▁Be - 8 ) ▁is ▁a ▁rad ion uclide ▁with ▁ 4 ▁neut rons ▁and ▁ 4 ▁pro tons . ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁un bound ▁reson ance ▁and ▁nomin ally ▁an ▁is ot ope ▁of ▁b ery l li um . ▁It ▁dec ays ▁into ▁two ▁alpha ▁particles ▁with ▁a ▁half - life ▁on ▁the ▁order ▁of ▁ 1 0 − 1 6 ▁seconds ; ▁this ▁has ▁important ▁ram ifications ▁in ▁stell ar ▁nucle os yn thesis ▁as ▁it ▁creates ▁a ▁bott l ene ck ▁in ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁heav ier ▁chemical ▁elements . ▁The ▁properties ▁of ▁ 8 Be ▁have ▁also ▁led ▁to ▁spec ulation ▁on ▁the ▁fine ▁tun ing ▁of ▁the ▁Un iverse , ▁and ▁theoretical ▁investig ations ▁on ▁cosm ological ▁evolution ▁had ▁ 8 Be ▁been ▁stable . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁ ▁The ▁discovery ▁of ▁b ery l li um - 8 ▁occurred ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁particle ▁acceler ator ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁British ▁phys ic ists ▁John ▁Douglas ▁C ock cro ft ▁and ▁Ernest ▁Wal ton ▁performed ▁their ▁first ▁experiment ▁with ▁their ▁acceler ator ▁at ▁the ▁Cav end ish ▁Labor atory ▁in ▁Cambridge , ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁ir rad i ated ▁l ith ium - 7 ▁with ▁pro tons . ▁They ▁reported ▁that ▁this ▁populated ▁a ▁nucle us ▁with ▁A   =   8 ▁that ▁near -