▁vac u um ▁dist ill ation ▁if ▁the ▁z inc ▁is ▁sm elt ed , ▁or ▁cad m ium ▁sul f ate ▁is ▁precip itated ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁electro ly s is ▁solution . ▁ ▁The ▁rich est ▁mer cur y ▁or es ▁contain ▁up ▁to ▁ 2 . 5 % ▁mer cur y ▁by ▁mass , ▁and ▁even ▁the ▁lean est ▁concentr ated ▁depos its ▁are ▁at ▁least ▁ 0 . 1 % ▁mer cur y , ▁with ▁c inn ab ar ▁( H g S ) ▁being ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁ore ▁in ▁the ▁depos its . ▁Mercur y ▁is ▁extracted ▁by ▁he ating ▁c inn ab ar ▁in ▁a ▁current ▁of ▁air ▁and ▁cond ens ing ▁the ▁v apor . ▁ ▁Super he avy ▁elements ▁such ▁as ▁cop ern ici um ▁are ▁produced ▁by ▁bomb arding ▁l ighter ▁elements ▁in ▁particle ▁acceler ators ▁that ▁indu ces ▁fusion ▁re actions . ▁Where as ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁is ot op es ▁of ▁cop ern ici um ▁can ▁be ▁synth es ized ▁directly ▁this ▁way , ▁some ▁heav ier ▁ones ▁have ▁only ▁been ▁observed ▁as ▁decay ▁products ▁of ▁elements ▁with ▁higher ▁atomic ▁numbers . ▁The ▁first ▁fusion ▁reaction ▁to ▁produce ▁cop ern ici um ▁was ▁performed ▁by ▁G SI ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁who ▁reported ▁the ▁detection ▁of ▁two ▁decay ▁ch ains ▁of ▁cop ern ici um - 2 7 7 ▁( though ▁one ▁was ▁later ▁ret ract ed , ▁as ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁based ▁on ▁data ▁fabric ated ▁by ▁Victor