Skip to main content
Log in

Synthesis of superheavy nuclei in 48Ca+244Pu interactions

  • Nuclei
  • Experiment
  • Published:
Physics of Atomic Nuclei Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article reports the results of experiments aimed at producing hypothetical long-lived superheavy elements located near the spherical-shell closures with Z≥114 and N≥72. For the synthesis of superheavy nuclei, we used a combination of neutron-rich reaction partners, with a 244Pu target and a 48Ca projectile. The sensitivity of the present experiment exceeded by more than two orders of magnitude previous attempts at synthesizing superheavy nuclides in reactions of 48Ca projectiles with actinide targets. We observed new decay sequences of genetically linked alpha decays terminated by spontaneous fission. The high measured alpha-particle energies, together with the long decay times and spontaneous fission terminating the chains, offer evidence for the decay of nuclei with high atomic numbers. The decay properties of the synthesized nuclei are consistent with the consecutive alpha decays originating from the parent nuclides 288,289114, produced in the 3n-and 4n-evaporation channels with cross sections of about a picobarn. The present observations can be considered experimental evidence for the existence of the “island of stability” of superheavy elements and are discussed in terms of modern theoretical approaches.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. R. Smolańczuk, Phys. Rev. C 56, 812 (1997).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. P. Möller and J. R. Nix, J. Phys. G 20, 1681 (1994).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Čwiok et al., Nucl. Phys. A 611, 211 (1996).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Yu. A. Lazarev et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 624 (1994); 75, 1903 (1995); Phys. Rev. C 54, 620 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. S. Hofmann et al., Z. Phys. A 350, 277 (1995); GSI Nachrichten, No. GSI 02-95 (Darmstadt, 1995), p. 4; Z. Phys. A 350, 281 (1995); 354, 229 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  6. A. Ghiorso et al., Phys. Rev. C 51, R2293 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. A. Türler et al., Phys. Rev. C 57, 1648 (1998).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Yu. Ts. Oganessian, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Nuclear Physics at the Turn of the Millennium “Structure of Vacuum and Elementary Matter,” Wilderness, South Africa, 1996 (World Sci., Singapore, 1997), p. 11.

    Google Scholar 

  9. W. J. Swiatecki, Nucl. Phys. A 376, 275 (1982); J. P. Blocki, H. Feldmeier, and W. J. Swiatecki, Nucl. Phys. A 459, 145 (1986).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. E. K. Hulet et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 39, 385 (1977); J. D. Illige et al., Phys. Lett. 78B, 209 (1978); R. J. Otto et al., J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 40, 589 (1978); A. Ghiorso et al., LBL Report, LBL 6575, 1977; Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., Nucl. Phys. A 294, 213 (1978); P. Armbruster et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 406 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. R. Smolańczuk, J. Skalski, and A. Sobiczewski, in Proceedings of the International Workshop XXIV on Gross Properties of Nuclei and Nuclear Excitations “Extremes of Nuclear Structure,” Hirschegg, Austria, 1996 (GSI, Darmstadt, 1996), p. 35.

    Google Scholar 

  12. P. Möller, J. R. Nix, and K.-L. Kratz, At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 66, 131 (1997).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. W. D. Myers and W. J. Swiatecki, Nucl. Phys. A 601, 141 (1996).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., in Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Dynamical Aspects of Nuclear Fission, Častá-Papiernička, Slovak Republic, 1998 (World Sci., Singapore, 2000), p. 334; Yu. A. Lazarev et al., in Proceedings of the International School-Seminar on Heavy Ion Physics, Dubna, Russia, 1993, JINR Report E7-93-274 (Dubna, 1993), Vol. II, p. 497.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Yu. A. Lazarev et al., JINR FLNR Scientific Report 1995–1996, E7-97-206 (Dubna, 1997), p. 30.

  16. J. F. Wild et al., J. Alloys Compd. 213/214, 86 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. N. J. Stoyer et al., LLNL Preprint UCRL-JC-136927, 1999; submitted for publication in Elsevier Science.

  18. V. B. Zlokazov, JINR Preprint No. E7-99-273 (Dubna, 1999); submitted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.

  19. M. G. Itkis et al., Nuovo Cimento A 111, 783 (1998); private communication.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3154 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. A. G. Demin et al., Z. Phys. A 315, 197 (1984); G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 322, 227 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., Z. Phys. A 319, 215 (1984); G. Münzenberg et al., Z. Phys. A 324, 489 (1986); F. P. Heßberger et al., in Proceedings of the Tours Symposium on Nuclear Physics III, Tours, France, 1997 (American Inst. Phys., New York, 1998), p. 3.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Table of Isotopes, Ed. by R. B. Firestone and V. S. Shirley (Wiley, New York, 1996, 8th ed.).

    Google Scholar 

  24. V. Ninov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1104 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Yu. Ts. Oganessian et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 5, 63 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. R. N. Sagaidak, JINR FLNR Scientific Report 1997–1998 (Dubna, 2000) (in press).

  27. S. Čwiok, W. Nazarewicz, and P. H. Heenen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1108 (1999).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. M. Bender, Phys. Rev. C 61, 031302 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

From Yadernaya Fizika, Vol. 63, No. 10, 2000, pp. 1769–1777.

Original English Text Copyright © 2000 by Oganessian, Utyonkov, Lobanov, Abdullin, Polyakov, Shirokovsky, Tsyganov, Gulbekian, Bogomolov, Gikal, Mezentsev, Iliev, Subbotin, Sukhov, Ivanov, Buklanov, Subotic, Itkis, Moody, Wild, N. Stoyer, M. Stoyer, Lougheed.

This article was submitted by the authors in English.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Oganessian, Y.T., Utyonkov, V.K., Lobanov, Y.V. et al. Synthesis of superheavy nuclei in 48Ca+244Pu interactions. Phys. Atom. Nuclei 63, 1679–1687 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1320137

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1320137

Keywords

Navigation