Description of α-decay half-lives of heaviest nuclei

The accuracy in describing α-decay half-lives T _α of heavy and superheavy nuclei is studied. A simple five-parameter phenomenological formula, expressing T _α as a function of the α-decay energy Q _α, is considered. It is found that such a formula can describe measured values of T _α within a factor of 1.3 for even-even, 2.1 for odd-even, 3.2 for even-odd, and 4.0 for odd-odd nuclei when measured values of Q _α are taken. This accuracy is decreased by a factor of about 4 when theoretical values of Q _α are used. The latter are obtained within a macroscopic-microscopic approach and reproduce the experimental values of Q _α of the same nuclei with an average accuracy of about 190 keV for even-even, 270 keV for odd-even, 260 keV for even-odd, and 330 keV for odd-odd nuclei. In the analysis, 201 nuclei with proton number Z = 84–111 and neutron number N = 128–161, with measured values of both Q _α and T _α, are taken. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Experimental Beta-decay energies of very neutron-rich fission products with 107≦A≦109

Theβ-decay of neutron-rich fission products with mass numbersA=107, 108 and 109 has been investigated at the mass separator LOHENGRIN of the Institute Laue-Lange-vin (ILL) in Grenoble by measuringβγ-coincidences with a large plastic scintillator telescope and a Ge(I)-detector. Theβ-decay energies of 8 nuclei were obtained from the evaluation of more than 40β-endpoint energies. For the nuclei¹⁰⁷ Mo,¹⁰⁷Tc,¹⁰⁸Tc,¹⁰⁹Tc and¹⁰⁹Ru, theβ-decay energies were determined for the first time; the experimental error in the decay energy of three daughter nuclei was considerably reduced. In addition, the two-neutron separation energies and the nuclear mass excesses were calculated from these experimentalQ _β-values and compared with different mass predictions.     

Identification of the 109Xe and 105Te α-decay chain

The α-decay chain ¹⁰⁹Xe → ¹⁰⁵Te → ¹⁰¹Sn was identified at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. Advances in digital electronics have made possible the identification of both alpha emitters in the same experiment despite the disparate half-lives of 13 ±2 ms and 620 ±70 ns for ¹⁰⁹Xe and ¹⁰⁵Te, respectively. Two α-decay transitions were observed from ¹⁰⁹Xe with Q_α values of 4067 ±10 and 4217 ±8 keV. One transition between the ground states of ¹⁰⁵Te and ¹⁰¹Sn was observed with a Q_α value of 4889 ±6 keV. Using the measured half-lives, branching ratios, and Q_α values the reduced α-decay widths, δ², were determined. Comparison of the δ² value for ¹⁰⁵Te with ²¹³Po indicates a “superallowed" character in the α emission of ¹⁰⁵Te.     

Impact of nuclear structure on production and identification of new superheavy nuclei

Using the microscopic-macroscopic approach based on the modified two-center shell model, the low-lying quasiparticle spectra, ground-state shell corrections, mass excesses and Q _α -values for even Z superheavy nuclei with 108 ≤ Z ≤ 126 are calculated and compared with available experimental data. The predicted properties of superheavy nuclei show that the next doubly magic nucleus beyond ²⁰⁸Pb is at Z ≥ 120. The perspective of using the actinide-based complete fusion reactions for production of nuclei with Z = 120 is studied for supporting future experiments.     

Study of analogue states in52Cr through proton capture by51V

γ-Ray yield function has been studied for the proton capture by vanadium in the proton energy range 720–1300 keV. Isobaric analogues of low lying states in⁵²V have been identified. At two resonances theγ-decay andγ-ray angular distributions have been obtained and the branching ratios and the multipole mixing ratios have been deduced. The analogue-antianalogue M1 transition in⁵²Cr is found to be strongly hindered as in other f_7/2 nuclei. TheQ-value obtained for this reaction is (10500±2.8) keV and the Coulomb displacement energy is (8.06±0.01) MeV. An upper limit of 2 meV has been obtained for theα- decay strength of the 11.395 MeV state in⁵²Cr.     

Super-allowed α decay above doubly-magic <Superscript>100</Superscript>Sn and properties of <Superscript>104</Superscript>Te = <Superscript>100</Superscript>Sn ⊗ α

α-decay half-lives for ^{104, 105, 106}Te and ^{108, 109, 110}Xe close above the doubly-magic ¹⁰⁰Sn are calculated from systematic double-folding potentials. The derived α preformation factors are compared to results for ^{212, 213, 214}Po and ^{216, 217, 218}Rn above the doubly-magic ²⁰⁸Pb. α-decay energies of Q _α = 5.42±0.07MeV and 4.65±0.15MeV are predicted for ¹⁰⁴Te and ¹⁰⁸Xe; the corresponding half-lives are T _1/2 ≈ 5ns for ¹⁰⁴Te and of the order of 60μs for ¹⁰⁸Xe. Additionally, the properties of rotational bands in ¹⁰⁴Te are analyzed, and the first excited 2⁺ state in ¹⁰⁴Te is predicted at E _x = 650±40keV; it decays preferentially by γ emission with a reduced transition strength of 10 Weisskopf units to the ground state of ¹⁰⁴Te and with a minor branch by α emission to the ground state of ¹⁰⁰Sn.     

Q value related mass determinations using a Penning trap

We report here about measurements of reaction and decay Q values by precise determination of pairs of atomic masses. These were performed with the Penning trap mass spectrometer SMILETRAP. Measurements with Penning traps give reliable and accurate masses, in particular Q values, due to the fact that certain systematic errors to a great deal cancel in the mass difference between the two atoms defining the Q value. Some Q values that are of fundamental interest will be discussed here, for example, a new Q value for the ⁶Li (n,γ) ⁷Li reaction, for the β-decay of tritium, related to properties of the electron neutrino mass, and for the neutrino-less double β-decay of ⁷⁶Ge, related to the question of whether the neutrino is a Majorana particle or not. In case of the latter two we report the most accurate Q values, namely 18,589.8(12) eV for the tritium decay and 2,038.997(46) keV for the neutrino-less double β-decay of ⁷⁶Ge.     

Proton magic even-even isotopes and giant halos of Ca isotopes with relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov theory

We study the proton magic O, Ca, Ni, Zr, Sn, and Pb isotope chains from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line with the relativistic continuum Hartree-Bogoliubov (RCHB) theory. Particulary, we study in detail the properties of even-even Ca isotopes due to the appearance of giant halos in neutron rich Ca nuclei near the neutron drip line. The RCHB theory is able to reproduce the experimental binding energiesE _b and two neutron separation energiesS _2n very well. The predicted neutron drip line nuclei are²⁸O,⁷²Ca,⁹⁸Ni,¹³⁶Zr,¹⁷⁶Sn, and²⁶⁶Pb. Halo and giant halo properties predicted in Ca isotopes withA>60 are investigated in detail through analysis of two neutron separation energies, nucleon density distributions, single particle energy levels, and the occupation probabilities of energy levels including continuum states. The spin-orbit splitting and the diffuseness of nuclear potential in these Ca isotopes, as well as the neighboring lighter isotopes in the drip line Ca region and find certain possibilities of giant halo nuclei in the Ne−Na−Mg drip line nuclei are also studied.     

On-line production of neutron rich isotopes from uranium carbide targets

Experiments done using on-line mass separation of neutron-rich nuclei produced by 1 GeV proton beam on natural U by spallation reactions are performed to study the characteristics of different UCx targets. Special attention is devoted to reliably extract isotopic yields in case of complex decay schemes and to the valuation of release efficiency of some isotopic chains. New gamma-branching measuremet for ⁹²Rb are obtained. In addition, a formalism is developed to disantangle the contribution of β-decay in the target from direct production by fission and to provide more consistent data for the interpretation of release curves. Some results are shown for the Cs and Rb isotopic chains.     

Bremsstrahlung emission accompanying the α -decay of 214Po

We analyze the bremsstrahlung emission obtained by the α -γ coincidence measurements to investigate on the α -decay dynamics of the ²¹⁴ Po nucleus. We performed the experiment using a radioactive ²²⁶ Ra source leading, by α -decays, to the ²¹⁴ Po nucleus, and the apparatus with the Si detector for α -particles, the NaI(Tl) detector able to collect photons with energies up to about 1 MeV. We compare the experimental data with the quantum-mechanical calculations and find a good agreement between theory and experiment for photon energies up to 765 keV. In the experimental data of the bremsstrahlung spectrum one can see the presence of slight oscillations.