0000000000335529
AUTHOR
H. Gäggeler
Search for Superheavy Elements in theU238+U238Reaction
A search was made for spontaneously fissioning superheavy elements in damped collisions of two uranium nuclei. Different techniques were applied covering the elements 108 to 118 and approx. =126, and a half-life range from 1 ms to more than 1 yr. No evidence for superheavy elements was found at upper cross-section limits of 10/sup -32/, 10/sup -33/, and 10/sup -35/ cm/sup 2/ for half-lives from 1 to 100 ms, 100 ms to 1 d, and 1 d to 1 yr, respectively.
New nuclides: Neptunium-243 and neptunium-244
We have observedγ-rays following the β−-decay of243Np and244Np after chemical isolation of neptunium isotopes from the products of the reaction of 835 MeV136Xe with244Pu. The ground-state of 1.85-min243Np hasJ=5/2. The decay of 2.29-min244Np (probableJπ=7−) populates high-spin members of the ground state rotational band in244Pu.
Rapid continous radiochemical separations by thermochromatography in connection with a gas-jet recoil-transport system
Abstract A combination of a gas-jet recoil-transport system with a thermochromatographic system has been studied as a technique for rapid, continuous radiochemical separations. Fission products were used as a model for complex mixtures of elements. A nitrogen gas-jet containing potassium chloride clusters was applied to transport nuclides produced in a reactor from the target area to the thermochromatographic column. Conversion of the reaction products carried by the gas-jet volatile species was achieved by stopping the clusters in a quartz-wool plug located in the column and kept at high temperatures and feeding a reactive gas into the column. Several reactive gases producing volatile chlo…
Search for long-lived superheavy elements in the reaction of136Xe with238U
A search with radiochemical methods for long-lived superheavy elements in 238U targets bombarded with intense beams of136Xe ions produced negative results. A formation cross section of ≤1×10−35 cm2 is deduced at 95% confidence level for nuclides with half-lives between 1 and 200 d.
Fluoride complexation of rutherfordium (Rf, element 104)
The fluoride complexation of the group-4 elements Zr, Hf and Rf, and of the pseudo-homolog Th, has been investigated in mixed HNO3/HF solutions by studying Kd values on both cation exchange resins (CIX) and anion exchange resins (AIX) using the automated rapid chemistry apparatus ARCA. On the CIX, the four elements are strongly retained as cations below 10-3M HF. For Zr and Hf, the decrease of the Kd values due to the formation of fluoride complexes occurs between 10-3M HF and 10-2M HF. For Rf and Th, this decrease is observed at one order of magnitude higher HF concentrations. On the AIX, for Zr and Hf, a rise of the Kd values due to the formation of anionic fluoride complexes is observed …
Attempts to Produce Superheavy Elements by Fusion ofCa48withCm248in the Bombarding Energy Range of 4.5-5.2 MeV/u
A search for superheavy elements was made in bombardments of $^{248}\mathrm{Cm}$ with $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ ions performed at projectile energies close to the interaction barrier in order to keep the excitation energy of the compound nucleus $Z=116$, $A=296$ as low as possible. No evidence for superheavy nuclei was obtained in a half-life region from 1 \ensuremath{\mu}s to 10 yr with a production cross section greater than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}34}$ to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}35}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.
A rotating wheel system for the detection of spontaneously fissioning nuclides from heavy ion reactions
Abstract A rotating wheel system for the detection of spontaneously fissioning reaction products from heavy ion reactions was developed. In this system products recoiling from a rotating target wheel are stopped in a catcher foil stack which can be rotated at various velocities up to 80 rotations per second. All products emitted within a wide emission cone are stopped in the catcher foils and are rotated into shielded positions with stationary fission-track detectors positioned on both sides of each rotating foil. This technique allows a sensitive detection of spontaneously fissioning nuclides over a broad range of half-lives from 1 ms to about 1 d. By post-bombardment exposure of the catch…