Synthesis and decay properties of superheavy elements

2006 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 889-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Oganessian
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Radioactive Decay ◽  
Parent Nucleus ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Superheavy Elements ◽  
Neutron Excess ◽  
Decay Properties ◽  
Neutron Rich Isotope

A fundamental outcome of modern nuclear theory is the prediction of the "island of stability" in the region of hypothetical superheavy elements. A significant enhancement in nuclear stability at approaching the closed shells with Z = 114 (possibly 120 and 122) and N = 184 is expected for the nuclei with large neutron excess. For this reason, for the synthesis of nuclei with Z = 112-116 and 118, we chose the reactions 238U, 242,244Pu, 243Am, 245,248Cm, and 249Cf + 48Ca, which are characterized by fusion products with a maximal neutron excess. The formation and decay properties of the heaviest nuclei were registered with the use of a gas-filled recoil separator installed at a 48Ca-beam of the heavy-ion cyclotron. The new nuclides mainly undergo sequential α-decay, which ends with spontaneous fission (SF). The total time of decay ranges from 0.5 ms to ~1 d, depending on the proton and neutron numbers in the synthesized nuclei. The atomic number of the new elements 115 and 113 was confirmed also by an independent radiochemical experiment based on the identification of the neutron-rich isotope 268Db (TSF ~ 30 h), the final product in the chain of α-decays of the odd-odd parent nucleus 288115. The comparison of the decay properties of 29 new nuclides with Z = 104-118 and N = 162-177 gives evidence of the decisive influence of the structure of superheavy elements on their stability with respect to different modes of radioactive decay. The investigations connected with the search for superheavy elements in Nature are also presented.The experiments were carried out at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR, Dubna) in collaboration with the Analytical and Nuclear Chemistry Division of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (USA).

SYNTHESIS OF HEAVIEST ELEMENTS (RESULTS AND PROSPECTS)

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (04) ◽  
pp. 949-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
YURI OGANESSIAN
Keyword(s):  
Cosmic Rays ◽  
Spontaneous Fission ◽  
Radioactive Decay ◽  
Superheavy Element ◽  
Parent Nucleus ◽  
Superheavy Nuclei ◽  
Α Decay ◽  
Decay Properties ◽  
Neutron Rich Isotope ◽  
Heaviest Elements

The formation and decay properties of the heaviest nuclei with Z = 112 - 116 and 118 were studied in the reactions 238 U , 242,244 Pu , 243 Am , 245,248 Cm and 249 Cf +48 Ca . The new nuclides mainly undergo sequential α-decay, which ends with spontaneous fission. The total time of decays ranges from 0.5 ms to about 1 day, depending on the proton and neutron numbers in the synthesized nuclei. The atomic number of the new elements 115 and 113 was confirmed also by an independent radiochemical experiment based on the identification of the neutron-rich isotope 268 Db (TSF ≈ 30 h ), the final product in the chain of α-decays of the odd–odd parent nucleus 288115. The comparison of the decay properties of 29 new nuclides with Z = 104 - 118 and N = 162 - 177 gives evidence for the decisive influence of the structure of superheavy nuclei on their stability with respect to different modes of radioactive decay. The investigations connected with the search for superheavy elements in Nature (cosmic rays) and prospects of superheavy element research are also presented.

scholarly journals Chemistry of the superheavy elements

2015 ◽  
Vol 373 (2037) ◽  
pp. 20140191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Schädel
Keyword(s):  
Periodic Table ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
Noble Gas ◽  
Relativistic Quantum ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Relativistic Effects ◽  
Electron Shell ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Superheavy Elements ◽  
Shell Effects

The quest for superheavy elements (SHEs) is driven by the desire to find and explore one of the extreme limits of existence of matter. These elements exist solely due to their nuclear shell stabilization. All 15 presently ‘known’ SHEs (11 are officially ‘discovered’ and named) up to element 118 are short-lived and are man-made atom-at-a-time in heavy ion induced nuclear reactions. They are identical to the transactinide elements located in the seventh period of the periodic table beginning with rutherfordium (element 104), dubnium (element 105) and seaborgium (element 106) in groups 4, 5 and 6, respectively. Their chemical properties are often surprising and unexpected from simple extrapolations. After hassium (element 108), chemistry has now reached copernicium (element 112) and flerovium (element 114). For the later ones, the focus is on questions of their metallic or possibly noble gas-like character originating from interplay of most pronounced relativistic effects and electron-shell effects. SHEs provide unique opportunities to get insights into the influence of strong relativistic effects on the atomic electrons and to probe ‘relativistically’ influenced chemical properties and the architecture of the periodic table at its farthest reach. In addition, they establish a test bench to challenge the validity and predictive power of modern fully relativistic quantum chemical models.

NEW EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH FOR HEAVY AND SUPERHEAVY ELEMENT PRODUCTION

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
pp. 1036-1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. BARBUI ◽  
T. MATERNA ◽  
P. SAHU ◽  
A. WIELOCH ◽  
F. D. BECCHETTI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
Superheavy Element ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
Superheavy Elements ◽  
Preliminary Results

In this article we present a new experimental approach for production of heavy and superheavy elements (HE, SHE). Nuclear reactions at low incident energies induced by heavy ion (HI) projectiles on fissile target nuclei are investigated. Dedicated detection setup is presented and the preliminary results for the reaction 197Au(7.5 MeV /u) + 232Th, studied at the Cyclotron Institute of Texas A&M University, are given.

Electron and ion irradiation-induced dissolution of mechanical twins in the intermetalic U3Si: An in situ HVEM study

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 652-653
Author(s):  
Charles W. Allen ◽  
Robert C. Birtcher
Keyword(s):  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Ion Irradiation ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
National Laboratory ◽  
Argonne National Laboratory ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Mechanical Twinning ◽  
In Situ Experiments

The uranium silicides, including U3Si, are under study as candidate low enrichment nuclear fuels. Ion beam simulations of the in-reactor behavior of such materials are performed because a similar damage structure can be produced in hours by energetic heavy ions which requires years in actual reactor tests. This contribution treats one aspect of the microstructural behavior of U3Si under high energy electron irradiation and low dose energetic heavy ion irradiation and is based on in situ experiments, performed at the HVEM-Tandem User Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. This Facility interfaces a 2 MV Tandem ion accelerator and a 0.6 MV ion implanter to a 1.2 MeV AEI high voltage electron microscope, which allows a wide variety of in situ ion beam experiments to be performed with simultaneous irradiation and electron microscopy or diffraction.At elevated temperatures, U3Si exhibits the ordered AuCu3 structure. On cooling below 1058 K, the intermetallic transforms, evidently martensitically, to a body-centered tetragonal structure (alternatively, the structure may be described as face-centered tetragonal, which would be fcc except for a 1 pet tetragonal distortion). Mechanical twinning accompanies the transformation; however, diferences between electron diffraction patterns from twinned and non-twinned martensite plates could not be distinguished.

The cross sections for different channels in heavy ion nuclear reactions

1971 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Galin ◽  
D. Guerreau ◽  
M. Lefort ◽  
X. Tarrago
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
Heavy Ion ◽  
The Cross
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