Synthetic elements are chemical elements that do not occur naturally on Earth, but are instead created through artificial processes, typically involving particle accelerators or nuclear reactions. Their existence is confirmed by measuring the decay signatures and properties of isotopes formed when stable nuclei are bombarded with accelerated particles. These elements often possess very high atomic numbers, exceeding those of the most heavy elements found naturally. Due to the immense energy required for their synthesis and the resulting structural instability, they typically have extremely short half-lives and decay rapidly through various radioactive decay chains, which allows for their detection and confirmation in research settings.