Possibilities for the synthesis of superheavy element Z=121 in fusion reactions

Based on the dinuclear system model,the calculated evaporation residue cross sections matched well with the current experimental results.The synthesis of superheavy elements Z=121 was systematically studied through combinations of stable projectiles with Z=21-30 and targets with half-lives exceeding 50 d.The influence of mass asymmetry and isotopic dependence on the projectile and target nuclei was investigated in detail.The reactions^(254)Es(^(46)Ti,3n)^(297)121 and^(252)Es(^(46)Ti,3n)^(295)121 were found to be experimentally feasible for synthesizing superheavy element Z=121,with maximal evaporation residue cross sections of 6.619 and 4.123 fb at 219.9 and 223.9 MeV,respectively.

Random forest-based prediction of decay modes and half-lives of superheavy nuclei

Information on the decay process of nuclides in the superheavy region is critical in investigating new elements beyond oganesson and the island of stability.This paper presents the application of a random forest algorithm to examine the competition among different decay modes in the superheavy region,includingα decay,β^(-)decay,β^(+)decay,electron capture and spontaneous fission.The observed half-lives and dominant decay mode are well reproduced.The dominant decay mode of 96.9%of the nuclei beyond ^(212) Po is correctly obtained.Further,α decay is predicted to be the dominant decay mode for isotopes in new elements Z=119-122,except for spontaneous fission in certain even–even elements owing to the increased Coulomb repulsion and odd–even effect.The predicted half-lives demonstrate the existence of a long-lived spontaneous fission island southwest of ^(298) Fl caused by the competition between the fission barrier and Coulomb repulsion.A better understanding of spontaneous fission,particularly beyond ^(286)Fl,is crucial in the search for new elements and the island of stability.

Influence of the shell effects on evaporation residue cross section of superheavy nuclei

In order to study the influence of the shell effects on the formation and fission of superheavy elements, we applied multidimensional Langevin equations. The evaporation residue cross sections have been calculated for 3n, 4n, and 5n evaporation channels using three(K = 0)-and four(K ≠ 0)-dimensional Langevin equations. Calculations were done for ^(48)Ca + ^(238)U and ^(48)Ca + ^(244)Pu hot fusion reactions with 3n, An evaporation channels and ^(70)Zn+ ^(208)Pb, and ^(54)Cr + ^(209)Bi cold fusion reactions with In and 2n evaporation channels. The calculations were performed for An and 5n evaporation channels of the ^(26)Mg+ ^(238)U reaction, as well. Our results show that with increasing dimension of Langevin equations the residue cross section increases, whereas the fission cross section decreases. The obtained results with four-dimensional Langevin and considering shell effects are in better agreement with experimental data in comparison with three-and four-dimensional Langevin equations without shell effects.

Systematics on production of superheavy nuclei Z=119-122 in fusion-evaporation reactions

The fusion dynamics of the formation of super-heavy nuclei were investigated thoroughly within the din-uclear system model.The Monte Carlo approach was implemented in the nucleon transfer process to include all possible orientations,at which the dinuclear system is assumed to be formed at the touching configuration of dinuclear fragments.The production cross sections of superheavy nuclei Cn,Fl,Lv,Ts,and Og were calculated and compared with the available data from Dubna.The evaporation residue excitation functions in the channels of pure neutrons and charged particles were systematically analyzed.The combinations of 44 Sc,48;50 Ti,49;51 V,52;54 Cr,58;62 Fe,and 62;64 Ni bombarding the actinide nuclides 238 U,244 Pu,248 Cm,247;249 Bk,249;251 Cf,252 Es,and 243 Am were calculated to produce the superheavy elements with Z¼119?122.We obtained that the production cross sections sensitively depend on the neutron richness of the reaction system.The structure of the evaporation residue excitation function is related to the neutron separation energy and fission barrier of the compound nucleus.

Predictions for production of superheavy nuclei with Z=105–112 in hot fusion reactions

Abstract The effects of mass asymmetry on the production of superheavy nuclei(SHN),within the dinuclear system model,are investigated in this study.It is observed that the fusion probability decreases with decreasing mass asymmetry.A total of 192 possible combinations of projectiles from O to Ti and targets with half-lives longer than30 days for producing SHN^(264)Db,^(265)Db,^(267)Sg,^(268)Bh,268Sg,^(269)Bh,^(271)Hs,^(271)Mt,^(272)Hs,^(272)Mt,^(273)Mt,^(274)Ds,275Ds,^(275)Rg,^(276)Ds,^(276)Rg,^(277)Rg,^(278)Cn,^(279)Cn,and^(280)Cn are examined.Further,the optimal combinations and incident energies for synthesizing these nuclei are predicted.Most of the cross sections for production of SHNare larger than 10 pb;therefore,the process can be carried out with the available experimental equipment.

Antiproton Production with a Fixed Target and Search for Superheavy Particles at the LHC

A proposal for an experiment to measure the cross section of antiproton production in a proton-nuclear collision in a kinematically forbidden region for nucleon-nucleon interaction on a fixed LHC target is considered. It is shown that this process can be separated from the kinematically allowed production process using the existing detectors of the ALICE facility at a proton energy of 7 TeV with a fixed nuclear target. Assuming the scale dependence of the cross section, the data obtained can be used to estimate the subthreshold cross section for the production of superheavy particles with a mass of several tens of TeV in the LHC lead nucleus beam.

α-particle preformation factors in heavy and superheavy nuclei

In this study,α-particle preformation factors in heavy and superheavy nuclei from ^(220)Th to ^(294)Og are investigated.By combing experimental α decay energies and half-lives,the α-particle preformation factors P_(α) are extracted from the ratios between theoretical α decay half-lives calculated using the Two-Potential Approach (TPA)and experimental data.We find that the α-particle preformation factors exhibit a noticeable odd-even staggering behavior,and unpaired nucleons inhibit α-particle preformation.Moreover,we find that both the α decay energy and mass number of parent nucleus exhibit considerable regularity with the extracted experimental α-particle preformation factors.After considering the major physical factors,we propose a local phenomenological formula with only five valid parameters for α-particle preformation factors P_(α).This analytic expression has a clear physical meaning as well as good precision.As an application,this analytic formula is extended to estimate the α-particle preformation factors and further predict the α decay half-lives for unknown even-even nuclei with Z=118 and 120.

α-decay properties of superheavy nuclei with 117 ≤ Z ≤ 120 from the systematics of decay chains and isotopic chains

Recently, the synthesis of new elements above Z = 118 has been a hot topic in nuclear physics. Meanwhile, the α-decay chain is expected to be the unique tool to identify these heaviest nuclei. We have systematically calculated the α-decay energies and half-lives on the same footing for superheavy nuclei (SHN) within the cluster model along with a slightly modified Woods-Saxon (W.S.) potential as the nuclear potential. Based on the available experimental data, the key radius parameter (R) in the α-core potential is determined via the systematic trend from the α-decay and isotopic chains. The α-decay energy (Qα) values and half-lives are then obtained simultaneously for those unknown SHN in the range of 117 ≤ Z ≤ 120, during which the decay width is obtained using a new treatment for the asymptotic behavior of the α-core wave function. The theoretical values and experimental data are found to be in excellent agreement for the nuclei ^(293,294)117 and ^(294)118 regardless of the method used to determine the R parameter. Predicting the α-decay chains for new elements Z = 119 and Z = 120 can be useful in ongoing or forthcoming experiments.

Theoretical predictions on cluster radioactivity of superheavy nuclei with Z=119,120

In this study,we investigate the cluster radioactivity(CR)of new superheavy elements with Z=119 and 120 based on two successful theoretical methods with modified parameters:the density-dependent cluster model(DDCM)and unified decay formula(UDF).First,we employ the DDCM and UDF to accurately reproduce the experimental half-lives of cluster emissions,which demonstrates the high reliability of our theoretical methods.Then,we systematically predict the probable cluster modes of ^(293-311)119 and ^(293-302)120 as well as their corresponding decay energies and half-lives.The half-lives of cluster decay derived from the DDCM are consistent with those from the UDF.Therefore,our results reveal that the cluster emission of ^(8)Be,emitted from the Z=119 and 120 isotopic chains,exhibits the minimum half-life for cluster emission,and hence,^(8)Be emission is considered the most probable cluster decay mode.Moreover,we explore the competition betweenαdecay and CR and find thatαdecay may be the dominant decay mode against CR.Furthermore,the good linear relationship between the decay energy and the number ofαparticles within the emitted cluster is extended to the range of superheavy nuclei(SHN).We anticipate that our theoretical predictions for CR will provide valuable references for the experimental synthesis of new SHN.

Evaporation residue cross sections of superheavy nuclei based on optimized nuclear data

This study proposes an optimized method for estimating atomic nucleus masses by combining the finiterangedroplet model (FRDM) with the support vector machine algorithm. The optimization process significantly improvesthe accuracy of the FRDM by reducing the root mean square error from 0.606 to 0.253 MeV. The optimizedmass data obtained from this method are then used to calculate the evaporation residue cross-sections (ERCSs) forfusion-evaporation reactions, employing the di-nuclear system model. The experimental results for the 48Ca+238U reactionare relatively well reproduced using these optimized mass data. Additionally, the study investigates the impactof mass uncertainties on fusion and survival probabilities. By considering the mass uncertainties, the ERCSs fornew elements 119 and 120 are predicted based on the obtained optimized mass data.

An improved α-decay energy formula for heavy and superheavy nuclei

Based on the liquid-drop model and using the first derivative of the normalized Gaussian function to consider the shell correction,a simpleα-decay energy formula is proposed for heavy and superheavy nuclei.The values of corresponding adjustable parameters are obtained by fittingα-decay energies of 209 nuclei ranging from Z=90 to Z=118 with N≥140.The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental data.The average and standard deviations between the experimental data and theoretical results are 0.141 and 0.190 Me V,respectively.For comparison,the reliable formulae proposed by Dong T K et al(2010,Phys.Rev.C 82,034320),Dong J M et al(2010,Phys.Rev.C 81,064309)and the WS3+nuclear mass model proposed by Wang N et al(2011,Phys.Rev.C 84,051303)are also used.The results indicate that our improved 7-parameter formula is superior to these empirical formulae and is largely consistent with the WS3+nuclear mass model.In addition,we extend this formula to predict theα-decay energies for nuclei with Z=117,118,119 and 120.The predicted results of these formulae are basically consistent.

Multi-layer phenomena in petawatt laser-driven acceleration of heavy ions

Laser-accelerated high-flux-intensity heavy-ion beams are important for new types of accelerators.A particle-in-cell program(Smilei) is employed to simulate the entire process of Station of Extreme Light(SEL) 100 PW laser-accelerated heavy particles using different nanoscale short targets with a thickness of 100 nm Cr, Fe, Ag, Ta, Au, Pb, Th and U, as well as 200 nm thick Al and Ca. An obvious stratification is observed in the simulation. The layering phenomenon is a hybrid acceleration mechanism reflecting target normal sheath acceleration and radiation pressure acceleration, and this phenomenon is understood from the simulated energy spectrum,ionization and spatial electric field distribution. According to the stratification, it is suggested that high-quality heavy-ion beams could be expected for fusion reactions to synthesize superheavy nuclei. Two plasma clusters in the stratification are observed simultaneously, which suggest new techniques for plasma experiments as well as thinner metal targets in the precision machining process.

Systematic study of survival probability of excited superheavy nuclei

The stability of excited superheavy nuclei (SHN) with 100 Z 134 against neutron emission and fission is investigated by using a statistical model. In particular, a systematic study of the survival probability against fission in the 1n-channel of these SHN is made. The present calculations consistently take the neutron separation energies and shell correction energies from the calculated results of the finite range droplet model which predicts an island of stability of SHN around Z = 115 and N = 179. It turns out that this island of stability persists for excited SHN in the sense that the calculated survival probabilities in the 1n-channel of excited SHN at the optimal excitation energy are maximized around Z = 115 and N = 179. This indicates that the survival probability in the 1n-channel is mainly determined by the nuclear shell effects.

Synthesis of superheavy nuclei with ^(238)U target

The production of superheavy nuclei with Z=108-116 via hot fusion reactions of the neutron-rich projectiles with 238U target is systematically studied.The results show that the production cross sections of superheavy nuclei do not decrease monotonously as the atomic number Z increasing.The cross sections of the superheavy nuclei at Z = 112 and 115 are enhanced as compared with the whole Z-trend in synthesis of the superheavy nuclei,which clearly illustrates that the reactions with large negative Q-value and shell correction are more favorable to synthesize superheavy nuclei.

Shell effect and capture cross sections in the synthesis of superheavy nuclei

The shell effect is included in the improved isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model in which the shell correction energy of the system is calculated by using the deformed two-center shell model.A switch function is introduced to connect the shell correction energy of the projectile and the target with that of the compound nucleus during the dynamical fusion process.It is found that the calculated capture cross sections reproduce the experimental data quantitatively at the energy near the Coulomb barrier.The capture cross sections for reaction 8305 Br + 28028 Pb → 121878X are also calculated and discussed.

Optimal reactions for the synthesis of superheavy nucleus ^(270)Hs

The superheavy nucleus 270Hs is expected to be a “double-magic” deformed nucleus. We have calculated its cross sections of evaporation residue for the reactions 248Cm(26Mg,4n)270Hs, 244Pu(30Si,4n)270Hs, 238U(36S,4n)270Hs and 226Ra(48Ca,4n)270Hs using a two-parameter Smoluchowski equation. It is found from our results that 226Ra(48Ca,4n)270Hs and 238U(36S,4n)270Hs are two optimal reactions for the synthesis of the superheavy nucleus 270Hs due to their large negative Q-values.

Search for decay modes of heavy and superheavy nuclei

Spontaneous fission(SF) with a new formula based on a liquid drop model is proposed and used in the calculation of the SF half-lives of heavy and superheavy nuclei(Z = 90–120). The predicted half-lives are in agreement with the experimental SF half-lives. The half-lives of decay(AD) for the same nuclei are obtained by using the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin(WKB) method together with Bohr-Sommerfeld(BS) quantization condition considering the isospin-dependent effects for the cosh potential. The decay modes and branching ratios of superheavy nuclei(Z =104-118) with experimental decay modes are obtained, and the modes are compared with the experimental ones and with the predictions found in the literature. Although some nuclei have predicted decay modes that are different from their experimental decay modes, decay modes same as the experimental ones are predicted for many nuclei. The SF and AD half-lives, branching ratios, and decay modes are obtained for superheavy nuclei(Z = 119–120) with unknown decay modes and compared with the predictions obtained in a previous study. The present results provide useful information for future experimental studies performed on both the AD and SF of superheavy nuclei.

α-decay half-lives of superheavy nuclei and general predictions

The generalized liquid drop model （GLDM） and the cluster model have been employed to calculate the α-decay half-lives of superheavy nuclei （SHN） using the experimental α-decay Q values. The results of the cluster model are slightly poorer than those from the GLDM if experimental Q values are used. The prediction powers of these two models with theoretical Q values from Audi et al. （QAudi） and Muntian et al. （QM） have been tested to find that the cluster model with QAudi and QM could provide reliable results for Z 〉 112 but the GLDM with QAudi for Z 112. The half-lives of some still unknown nuclei are predicted by these two models and these results may be useful for future experimental assignment and identification.

Alpha decay energies and half-lives for possibly synthesized superheavy elements

We investigate the ground state properties of some superheavy nuclei, which may be synthesized in future experiments. Special emphases are placed on the alpha decay energies and half-lives. The alpha decay energies and half-lives from different theoretical models are compared and discussed comprehensively. Through these calculations and comparisons, the optimal superheavy elements to be synthesized in future experiments are proposed theoretically.

Predictions of decay modes for the superheavy nuclei most suitable for synthesis

The competition between α-decay and spontaneous fission of superheavy nuclei（SHN） is investigated by the generalized liquid drop model（GLDM） and the modified Swiatecki＇s formula respectively. The theoretical decay modes are in good agreement with the experimental results. Predictions are made for as-yet unobserved superheavy nuclei. The theoretical calculations show that the nuclei^298 120,^295 119,^290 118,^291 117,^287 117,^294 116,^289 116,^286 116,^285 116,^284 115,^283 115,^283 114,^282 114,^280 113,^276 112,^275 112,^274 112,^273 111,^272 110,^265 109 may be synthesized experimentally in the near future since they not only have relatively large predicted cross sections but can also be identified via α-decay chains.