Nuclear Potential and Fusion Cross Sections for Synthesizing Super-Heavy Elements in Di-nuclear Systems

A double foMing method with simplified Skyrme-type nucleon nucleon interaction is used to calculate the nuclear interaction potential between two nuclei. The calculation is performed in tip-to-tip orientation of the two nuclei if they are deformed. Based on this method, the potential energy surfaces~ the fusion probabilities and the evaporation residue cross sections for some cold fusion reactions leading to super-heavy elements within di-nuclear system model are evaluated. It is indicated that after the improvement, the exponential decreasing systematics of the fusion probability with increasing charge number of projectile on the Pb based target become better and the evaporation residue cross sections are in better agreement with the experimental data.     

Nuclear Hexadecapole Deformation Effects on the Production of Super-Heavy Elements

We investigate the effects of the nuclear hexadecapole deformations on the interaction potentials between nuclei, the driving potentials and the fusion probabilities for some cold fusion reactions leading to super-heavy elements. It is found that nuclear hexadecapole deformations change significantly the structure of the driving potentials and the fusion probabilities for some reaction channels.     

Neutron and Proton Diffusion in Fusion Reactions for the Synthesis of Superheavy Nuclei

The restriction of the one dimensional （1D） master equation （ME） with the mass number of the projectile-like fragment as a variable is studied, and a two-dimensional （2D） master equation with the neutron and proton numbers as independent variables is set up, and solved numerically. Our study showed that the 2D ME can describe the fusion process well in all projectile target combinations. Therefore the possible channels to synthesize super-heavy nuclei can be studied correctly in wider possibilities. The available condition for employing 1D ME is pointed out.     

Possible Way to Synthesize Superheavy Element Z=117

Within the framework of the dinuclear system model, the production of superheavy element Z = 117 in possible projectile-target combinations is analysed systematically. The calculated results show that the production cross sections are strongly dependent on the reaction systems. Optimal combinations, corresponding excitation energies and evaporation channels are proposed, such as the isotopes^248.249 Bk in ^48 Ca induced reactions in 3n evaporation channels and the reactions ^45Sc＋246.248Cm in 3n and 4n channels, and the system ^51 V＋ 244pu in 3n channel.     

Fragmentation Cross Sections of 12C on Different Targets at Beam Energies from 50 to 100MeV/Nucleon

The fragmentation cross sections of reactions ^12C＋^2H, ^12C, ^14N, ^16O at beam energies from 50 to 100 MeV/nucleon are investigated using the isospin-dependent Boltzmann-Langevin equation model. It is found that fragment species increase approximately with the increasing target mass. The fragment species and some fragments production cross sections in reactions of ^12C＋^12C, ^14N, ^16O show an obvious variation at the beam energies from 50 to 80 MeV/nucleon. However the calculated fragment production cross sections do not change much when the incident energy increases from 80 to 100 MeV/nucleon.     

Isoscaling in Statistical Sequential Decay Model

A sequential decay model is used to study isoscaling, i.e. the factorization of the isotope ratios from sources of different isospins and sizes over a broad range of excitation energies, into fugacity terms of proton and neutron number, R21（N, Z） = Y2（ N, Z）/Y1（ N, Z） = Cexp（αN -βZ）. It is found that the isoscaling parameters α and β have a strong dependence on the isospin difference of equilibrated source and excitation energy, no significant influence of the source size on α andβ has been observed. It is found that α and β decrease with the excitation energy and are linear functions of 1/T and △（Z/A）2 or△（N/A）2 of the sources. Symmetry energy coefticient Gsym is constrained from the relationship of a and source △（Z/A）2, /3 and source △（N/A）2.     

Calculation of Interaction Potentials between Spherical and Deformed Nuclei

The interaction potential for spherical-deformed reaction partners is calculated. The shape, separation and orientation dependence of the interaction potential and fusion cross section of the system ^32S＋^154Sm are investigated within the double-folding model of the deformed nuclei. The effective nucleon-nucleon interaction is taken to be the M3Y-Reid potential. The density is considered for three terms of the expansion using the truncated multipole expansion method, which is a deformed Fermi shape With quadrupole and hexadecapole for the density distribution of ^154Sm. It is found for the interaction potential that the height and the position of barrier strongly depend on the deformations, the orientation angle of the deformed nucleus, and hence produce great effects on fusion cross section. The integrated fusion cross section is in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Dynamical effects on the way to fusion of very heavy nuclei

The central collision of ⁴⁰Ar and ²⁰⁸Pb is studied considering the ellipsoidal deformations and isovector dipole mode of motion in the approaching phase. The collective energy dissipation is suggested to originate from the Fermi surface deformation which is treated as a kinematically independent mode of motion within the canonical Lagrange-Rayleigh dynamics. The possible extensions of the approach are discussed. The potential energy surface, calculated using the generalized (folded) surface potential, is studied. The saddle point in the potential energy surface lying at the border of strongly deformed compact configurations is located. The potential energy at this point is about 10MeV smaller than that of the ions touching each other in the spherical shape. The examination of trajectories followed by the system in its evolution shows that the inertia forces strongly hinder the motion of ions along the potential energy valley. The collective energy dissipated during the approach is found to be smaller than the difference in the potential energies at saddle point and at the touching configuration of unpolarized ions.     

How does fusion hindrance show up in medium-light systems? The case of Ca + Ca

The fusion excitation function of ⁴⁸Ca + ⁴⁸Ca has been measured above and well below the Coulomb barrier, thereby largely extending the energy range of a previous experiment down to very low cross sections. This system has a negative Q  -value for compound nucleus formation. The fusion cross section decreases steadily below the barrier with no conspicuous change of slope below ?300 μb$?300\text{μb}$. Coupled-channels calculations using a Woods–Saxon potential indicate that a large diffuseness parameter is needed to reproduce the sub-barrier cross sections. A close analogy with the case of ³⁶S + ⁴⁸Ca, with Q>0$Q>0$, is pointed out. The sign of the Q-value does not influence fusion cross sections down to the 300–600 nb level.     

Modified Woods-Saxon Potential for Heavy-Ion Fusion Reaction

A modified Woods-Saxon （MWS） potential is proposed for describing nucleus-nucleus interaction based on the Skyrme energy-density functional approach. Fusion barriers for a large number of fusion reactions from light to heavy systems can be described well with this potential. The suitable incident energies for fusion reactions leading to superheavy nuclei are also explored. It seems to us that the MWS potential is useful for selecting the suitable incident energies for fusion reactions for producing super-heavy nuclei.     

Possible Mechanisms of Ternary Fission in the 197Au+197Au System at 15 A MeV

Ternary fission in ^197Au＋^197Au collisions at 15 A MeV is investigated by using the improved quantum molecular dynamical （ImQMD） model. The experimental mass distributions for each of the three fragments are reproduced for the first time without any freely adjusting parameters. The mechanisms of ternary fission in central and semicentral collisions are dynamically studied. In direct prolate ternary fission, two necks are found to be formed almost simultaneously and rupture sequentially in a very short time interval. Direct oblate ternary fission is a very rare fission event, in which three necks are formed and rupture simultaneously, forming three equally sized fragments along space-symmetric directions in the reaction plane. In sequential ternary fission a binary division is followed by another binary fission event after hundreds of fm/c.     

Fusion near the Coulomb barrier for the synthesis of heavy and superheavy elements: A theoretical approach

The compound nucleus formation is considered as a two-step process of touching and subsequent tunneling of the projectile into the target. The deep minima in the potential energy curve are due to shell effects in the experimental binding energies and give possible target-projectile combinations for the synthesis of heavy and superheavy elements. The asymmetric channels thus obtained are in remarkable agreement with the known experimental channels. In our model, the colliding partners are first shown to be captured in the pocket behind the outer (touching) barrier and the composite system so formed finally tunnels through the inner (fusion) barrier to form the resulting compound nucleus. These calculations reveal the importance of the fusion barrier, which occur only for the asymmetric target-projectile combinations. The calculated fusion cross-sections show a reasonable comparison with the observed one-neutron evaporation residue cross-sections. An estimate of the excitation energy carried by the compound nucleus is also obtained from our model calculations.     

Coulomb Potentials between Spherical and Deformed Nuclei

Coulomb potentials for spherical-deformed reaction as well as the conventional formulas. Our results approaches have quite different behaviours in the partners are calculated in terms of the double folding model show that the Coulomb potentials calculated with different internal region of the potential. Because fusion process is sensitive to the barrier height and the internal part of the potential, the fusion excitation function, especially the fusion barrier distribution, should provide a strict test of the interaction potentials. Therefore, we calculate the fusion excitation function and barrier distribution for the ^16O ＋^154Sm system with different versions of the Coulomb potentials, in comparison with the experimental results. It is found that the fusion excitation function and barrier distribution of ^16O＋^154Sm are obviously different for the different versions of the Coulomb potentials. By means of this comparison, we may conclude that the double folding model with the accurate approximate form can provide rather reasonable Coulomb potentials.     

Isospin Effects of Threshold Energy of Radial Flow in Heavy Ion Collisions

The threshold energies of radial flow in reactions of ^40 Ca-^40Ca and ^48Ca＋ ^48Ca in central collisions are investigated within an isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model by using three different forms of symmetry energy. It is found that the neutron-rich system has smaller threshold energy of radial flow and this quantity depends on the form of symmetry potential. It is indicated that the threshold energy of radial flow can provide a new method to determine the symmetry energy of asymmetric nuclear matter.     

The Average Lifetime of Giant Composite Systems Formed in Strongly Damped Collisions

The dynamic, adiabatic and diabat ic entrance potentials in strongly damped reactions of ^238 U＋^238 U, ^232 Th ＋ ^250Cf are calculated and compared. The feature of the dynamical potential implies that it is possible for the composite systems to stick together for a period of time. By means of the improved quantum molecular dynamics model the time evolution of the density and charge distributions of giant composite systems and their fragments for reactions ^238U＋^238U, ^232Th＋^250Cf are investigated, from which the lifetimes of giant composite systems at different energies are obtained. The longest average lifetime of ^238U＋^238U is found when the incident energy is about Ec.m =1080 MeW, which is about 1200 fm/c.     

Entrance channel mass asymmetry dependence of compound nucleus formation

The fusion reactions ⁴⁸Ca + ¹⁵⁴Sm and ¹⁶O + ¹⁸⁶W leading to the same compound nucleus ²⁰²Pb are studied within the framework of an improved isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model. The entrance channel mass asymmetry dependence of compound nucleus formation is found by analyzing the shell correction energies, Coulomb barriers and fusion cross sections. The calculated fusion cross sections agree quantitatively with the experimental data. We conclude that the compound nucleus formation is favorable for the system with larger mass asymmetry.     

Transfer reactions and sub-barrier fusion in 40Ca + 90, 96Zr

The two systems ⁴⁰Ca + ^90,96Zr have been studied by measuring nucleon transfer reactions at two energies near the Coulomb barrier, thus complementing the available sub-barrier fusion cross-sections. Angular distributions for various transfer channels have been determined. Significantly larger neutron transfer cross-sections are found for the target ⁹⁶Zr that exhibits the larger enhancement in the sub-barrier fusion cross-sections. All data have been analyzed with a new model for heavy-ion collisions that calculates simultaneously transfer cross-sections, fusion excitation functions and barrier distributions. The model gives a good account of both transfer and fusion data. Received: 2 May 2002 / Accepted: 4 June 2002 / Published online: 26 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: montagnoli@pd.infn.it, Fax +39049 8277102, Tel. +39049 8277117. RID="b" ID="b"On leave from the China Institute for Atomic Energy, 102413 Beijing, China. Communicated by C. Signorini     

Density and Symmetric Potential Dependences of Isoscaling Behaviour in the Lattice Gas Model

Isoscaling behaviour of the statistical emission fragments from the equilibrated sources with Z=30 and N=30, 33, 36 and 39 is investigated in the framework of the isospin-dependent lattice gas model. The dependences of isoscaling parameters α on source isospin asymmetry, temperature andfreeze-out density are studied, and the `symmetry energy' is deduced from isoscaling parameters. The results show that symmetry energy C_sym is insensitive to the change of temperature but follows the power-law dependence on the freeze-out density ρ. The effect of strength of asymmetry of nucleon--nucleon interaction potential on the density dependence of the symmetry energy is discussed.     

Isotopic dependence of fusion probabilities for neutron-deficient and -rich colliding nuclei

Isotopic dependence of the fusion dynamics is studied by analyzing the collision of a large number of isotopes of Ca and Ni with 0.6 N/Z 2. This study, which results from the Skyrme energy density formalism, reveals that the addition of neutrons favors fusion of reacting partners, whereas the reverse happens with the removal of neutrons. The fusion barrier heights and positions follow a non-linear second-order dependence on ( -1 ), whereas fusion cross-sections can be parameterized by a straight line.-1