Entrance and exit channels for the heaviest elements

The potential barriers governing the entrance and α decay channels of the heaviest elements have been determined within a Generalized Liquid Drop Model including the asymmetry, the proximity effects, an adjustment to reproduce the Q value and within the asymmetric two-center shell model and the Strutinsky method. In cold fusion reactions double-hump barriers stand and incomplete fusion may occur. Warm fusion paths lead to one-hump potential barriers but also to very excited systems cooling down by neutron or even α particle evaporation. Partial half-lives for α decay have been calculated and compared with the new available experimental data.