Doubly magic properties in superheavy nuclei

A systematic study of global properties of superheavy nuclei in the framework of the Liquid Drop Model and the Strutinsky shell correction method is performed. The evolution equilibrium deformations, TRS graphs and α-decay energies are calculated using the TRS model. The analysis covers a wide range of even-even superheavy nuclei from Z =102 to 122. Magic numbers and their observable influence occurring in this region have been investigated. Shell closures appear at proton number Z =114 and at neutron number N =184.     

Calculated properties of superheavy nuclei

Ground-state properties of the heaviest nuclei are analyzed within a macroscopic-microscopic approach. The main attention is paid to such properties as deformation, deformation energy, energy of the first rotational state 2⁺ of a nucleus, and the branching ratio of α decay to this 2⁺ state with respect to the decay to the ground state 0⁺. The analysis concerns the problem of experimental confirmation of theoretically predicted deformed shapes of superheavy nuclei situated in the region around the nucleus ²⁷⁰Hs. A large region of even-even nuclei with proton, Z=82–128, and neutron, N=126–190, numbers is considered.     

Ground-state properties of neutron magic nuclei

A systematic study of the ground-state properties of the entire chains of even–even neutron magic nuclei represented by isotones of traditional neutron magic numbers N = 8, 20, 40, 50, 82, and 126 has been carried out using relativistic mean-field plus Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer approach. Our present investigation includes deformation, binding energy, two-proton separation energy, single-particle energy, rms radii along with proton and neutron density profiles, etc. Several of these results are compared with the results calculated using nonrelativistic approach (Skyrme–Hartree–Fock method) along with available experimental data and indeed they are found with excellent agreement. In addition, the possible locations of the proton and neutron drip-lines, the (Z, N) values for the new shell closures, disappearance of traditional shell closures as suggested by the detailed analyzes of results are also discussed in detail.     

Macroscopic-microscopic calculations of ground state properties of superheavy nuclei

We systematically calculate the ground state properties of superheavy even-even nuclei with proton number Z=94–118. The calculations are based on the liquid drop macroscopic model and the microscopic model with the modified single-particle oscillator potential. The calculated binding energies and α-decay energies agree well with the experimental data. The reliability of the macroscopic-microscopic(MM)model for superheavy nuclei is confirmed by the good agreement between calculated results and experimental ones. Detailed comparisons between our calculations and M?ller’s are made. It is found that the calculated results also agree with M?ller’s results and that the MM model is insensitive to the microscopic single-particle potential. Calculated results are also compared with results from relativistic mean-field (RMF) model and from Skyrme-Hatree-Fock(SHF) model. In addition, half-lives, deformations and shape coexistence are also investigated. The properties of some unknown nuclei are predicted and they will be useful for future experimental researches of superheavy nuclei.     

Heavy and superheavy nuclei

The new elements 110, 111 and 112 were synthesized and unambiguously identified in experiments at SHIP. Due to strong shell effects the dominant decay mode is not fission, but emission of alpha particles. Theoretical investigations predict that maximum shell effects should exist in nuclei near proton number 114 and neutron number 184. Our measurements give hope that isotopes of element 114 close to the island of spherical Superheavy Elements could be produced by fusion reactions using ²⁰⁸Pb as target. Systematic studies of the reaction cross-sections indicate that transfer of nucleons is the important process to initiate the fusion.     

Interior electron shells in superheavy nuclei

The interior electron shells for superheavy nuclei (90≦Z≦250) have been investigated. Their binding energies are tabulated together with the vacuum polarization corrections for the various levels.     

超重原子核与超重元素

研究超重原子核和超重元素,探索原子核的电荷和质量极限,是重要的科学前沿领域。超重原子核的存在源于量子效应。上个世纪60年代,理论预言存在一个以质子数114和中子数184为中心的超重稳定岛,这极大地促进了重离子加速器及相关探测设备的建造和重离子物理的发展。到目前为止, 实验室合成了118号及之前的超重元素。其中116号、114号和113号以下的新元素已被命名。利用重离子熔合反应合成更重的超重元素还面临着很多挑战,需要理论与实验密切结合,探索超重原子核性质与合成机制,以登上超重稳定岛。文章概要介绍了超重原子核和超重元素的研究背景、实验进展以及面临的挑战,并展望了未来的发展。     

Heavy-particle radioactivity of superheavy nuclei

The concept of heavy-particle radioactivity (HPR) is changed to allow emitted particles with Z(e) > 28 from parents with Z > 110 and daughter around (208)Pb. Calculations for superheavy (SH) nuclei with Z = 104-124 are showing a trend toward shorter half-lives and larger branching ratio relative to α decay for heavier SHs. It is possible to find regions in which HPR is stronger than alpha decay. The new mass table AME11 and the theoretical KTUY05 and FRDM95 masses are used to determine the released energy. For 124 we found isotopes with half-lives in the range of ns to ps.     

Research on some superheavy nuclei

Studies on some superheavy nuclei are performed. The α decay energies are calculated by an improved local binding energy formula, and the α decay half-lives are calculated by the Viola-Seaborg formula. Good agreements between theoretical and experimental results are reached.     

Research on some superheavy nuclei

Studies on some superheavy nuclei are performed. The α decay energies are calculated by an improved local binding energy formula, and the α decay half-lives are calculated by the Viola-Seaborg formula. Good agreements between theoretical and experimental results are reached.     

Microscopic description of superheavy nuclei

The results of extensive microscopic relativistic mean field (RMF) calculations for the nuclei appearing in the α-decay chains of recently discovered superheavy elements with 109  Z  118 are presented and discussed. The calculated ground-state properties like total binding energies, Q-values, deformations, radii, and densities closely agree with the corresponding experimental data, where available. The root mean square radii closely follow A^1/3 law (A being the mass number) with the constant r_o = 0.9639 ± 0.0005 fm. The double folding (tρρ) approximation is used to calculate the interaction potential between the daughter and the α, using RMF densities along with the density-dependent nucleon–nucleon interaction (M3Y). This in turn is employed within the WKB approximation to estimate the half-lives without any additional parameter for α-decay. The half-lives are highly sensitive to the Q-values used and qualitatively agree with the corresponding experimental values. The use of experimental Q-values in the WKB approximation improves the agreement with the experiment, indicating that the resulting interaction potential is reliable and can be used with confidence as the real part of the optical potential in other scattering and reaction processes.     

Survivability of excited superheavy nuclei

The survivability of even-even and odd superheavy nuclei is analyzed on the basis of a statistical model and various theoretical predictions for nuclear properties. In this analysis, use is made of various methods for computing level densities. For Z<114 nuclei, calculations on the basis of all models predicting nuclear properties lead to close values for the ratio of the width with respect to the neutron channel to the width with respect to the fission channel. For Z≥114 nuclei, different values are obtained for this ratio. The dependence of the results on model parameters is discussed. The collective-enhancement factor in the level density is taken into account in the calculations.     

Fission process of superheavy nuclei

The process of fusion-fission of superheavy nuclei with Z=102?122 formed in the reactions with ²²Ne, ²⁶Mg, ⁴⁸Ca, ⁵⁸Fe and ⁸⁶Kr ions at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier has been studied. The experiments were carried out at the U-400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR) using a time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET and a neutron multi-detector DEMON. As a result of the experiments, mass and energy distributions of fission fragments, fission and quasi-fission cross sections, multiplicities of neutrons and gamma rays and their dependence on the mechanism of formation and decay of compound superheavy systems have been studied.     

Effect of properties of superheavy nuclei on their production and decay

Properties and stability of superheavy nuclei resulting from hot fusion are discussed. It is shown that the microscopic–macroscopic approach allows obtaining the closed proton shell at Z ≥ 120. Isotopic trends of K-isomeric states in superheavy nuclei are predicted. Evaporation residue cross sections in hot fusion reactions are calculated using the predicted properties of superheavy nuclei. Interruption of α decay chains by spontaneous fission is analyzed. Alpha decay chains through isomeric states are considered. Internal level densities in superheavy nuclei are microscopically calculated.     

On the stability of superheavy nuclei

The European Physical Journal A - The Dynamical Cluster-decay Model (DCM) has been employed to analyze the charge particle emission from $$^{207, 209}$$ Pb $$^*$$ isotopes formed in highly...     

Decay of heavy and superheavy nuclei

We present here, an overview and progress of the theoretical works on the isomeric state α decay, α decay fine structure of even–even, even–odd, odd–even and odd–odd nuclei, a study on the feasibility of observing α decay chains from the isotopes of the superheavy nuclei Z = 115 in the range 271 ≤A ≤ 294 and the isotopes of Z = 117 in the range 270 ≤A ≤ 301, within the Coulomb and proximity potential model for deformed nuclei (CPPMDN). The computed half-lives of the favoured and unfavoured α decay of nuclei in the range 67 ≤Z ≤ 91 from both the ground state and isomeric state, are in good agreement with the experimental data and the standard deviation of half-life is found to be 0.44. From the α fine structure studies done on various ranges of nuclei, it is evident that, for nearly all the transitions, the theoretical values show good match with the experimental values. This reveals that CPPMDN is successful in explaining the fine structure of even–even, even–odd, odd–even and odd–odd nuclei. Our studies on the α decay of the superheavy nuclei ^271?294115 and ^270?301117 predict 4 α chains consistently from ^284,285,286115 nuclei and 5α chains and 3α chains consistently from ^288?291117 and ²⁹²117, respectively. We thus hope that these studies on ^284?286115 and ^288?292117 will be a guide to future experiments.     

A simple model of superheavy nuclei

I present a simple algebraic model of superheavy and superdeformed nuclei, produced through heavy-ion collisions, based on a microscopic evaluation of the effective boson numbers in the actinide and superheavy regions. The relevant calculations have been performed within the framework of a deformed shell model, including the pairing interaction between like-particles. As far as the actinide isotopes are concerned, the theoretical boson numbers are compared with the corresponding empirical estimates, obtaining a good agreement. The calculated boson numbers are used to predict collective spectra and electromagnetic transition intensities for actinide — including fission isomers — and superheavy nuclei, by using the interacting boson model (IBM).     

Binding energies of even-even superheavy nuclei

The structure of the even-even superheavy nuclei with the proton number Z=98–110 is studied using the self-consistent relativistic mean-field theory. The calculated binding energies are in good agreement with the available experimental ones. An upper limit and a lower limit on the binding energies are set by the calculations. This is useful for future calculations of properties of superheavy nuclei and for the experimental synthesis of superheavy nuclei. The energy surface of some relevant superheavy nuclei is also given and it confirms the correctness of the calculations.     

Fusion-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei

The process of fusion-fission of heavy and superheavy nuclei (SHE) with Z=82–122 formed in the reactions with ⁴⁸Ca and ⁵⁸Fe ions at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier has been studied. The experiments were carried out at the U-400 accelerator of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR) and at the XTU Tandem accelerator of the National Laboratory of Legnaro (LNL) using the time-of-flight spectrometer of fission fragments CORSET and the neutron multidetector DEMON. As a result of the experiments, mass and energy distributions (MED) of fission fragments; fission, quasifission, and evaporation residue cross sections; and multiplicities of neutrons and γ-quanta and their dependences on the mechanism of formation and decay of compound systems have been studied.     

Alpha decay chains from superheavy nuclei

Magic islands for extra-stable nuclei in the midst of the sea of fission-instability were predicted to be around Z=114, 124 or, 126 with N=184, and Z=120, with N=172. Whether these fission-survived superheavy nuclei with high Z and N would live long enough for detection or, undergo α-decay in a very short time, remains an open question. α-decay half lives of nuclei with 130≥Z≥100 have been calculated in a WKB framework using density-dependent M3Y interaction with Q-values from different mass formulae. The results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Fission survived Sg nuclei with Z=106, N=162 is predicted to have the highest α-decay half life (∼3.2 h) in the Z=106-108, N=160-164 region called small island/peninsula. Superheavy nuclei with Z>118 are found to have α-decay half lives of the order of microseconds or less.