Search results for "Heavy element"

STATUS OF SUPERHEAVY ELEMENT RESEARCH

1982

ABSTRACT A review is given on the search for superheavy elements in nature. Attempts to arrive at conclusive proofs have failed thus far, however. Attempts to produce superheavy elements in the laboratory by heavy-ion reactions proved negative results although a detection sensitivity of 10−35 cm2 corresponding to a production of a few atoms per experiment has been achieved. Two approaches have been followed: complete fusion and transfer of nucleons during damped collisions. The former is illustrated by the 48Ca + 248Cm reaction, the latter by the 238U + 238U and 238U + 248Cm reactions.

ATTEMPTS TO PRODUCE SUPERHEAVY ELEMENTS IN REACTIONS BETWEEN HEAVY NUCLEI

1978

Nuclear structure physics at GSI-challenges and perspectives

2001

Some characteristic examples from the ongoing GSI nuclear structure research programme are presented such as recent experimental results from nuclear reactions with exotic beams to explore the structure of halo nuclei, direct mass measurements in the storage ring, and the structure of heavy-elements. A brief outline of a next generation exotic beam facility will be given.

Understanding the nuclear structure of heavy elements

2013

The study of heavy and superheavy elements has always been one of the cornerstones of nuclear physics studies. These studies are driven by a desire to create new elements and to determine the limits of nuclear stability. Current experiments to synthesize new elements aim at the fabled ?Island of Stability? which should be found in the region of the next ?magic? numbers for protons and neutrons beyond Z?=?82 and N?=?126 (208Pb). The island is predicted to be around proton number 114?126 and neutron number 184. In recent years, another approach to understanding heavy nuclear systems has gained momentum, whereby nuclei with a much lower proton number of around 100 are studied in detail. The mo…

Quasifission in heavy and superheavy element formation reactions

2016

Superheavy elements are created in the laboratory by the fusion of two heavy nuclei. The large Coulomb repulsion that makes superheavy elements decay also makes the fusion process that forms them very unlikely. Instead, after sticking together for a short time, the two nuclei usually come apart, in a process called quasifission. Mass-angle distributions give the most direct information on the characteristics and time scales of quasifission. A systematic study of carefully chosen mass-angle distributions has provided information on the global trends of quasifission. Large deviations from these systematics reveal the major role played by the nuclear structure of the two colliding nuclei in de…

Primordial Heavy Element Production

1995

A number of possible mechanisms have been suggested to generate density in-homogeneities in the early Universe which could survive until the onset of primordial nucleosynthesis (Malaney and Mathews 1993). In this work we are not concerned with how the inhomogeneities were generated but we want to focus on the effect of such inhomogeneities on primordial nucleosynthesis. One of the proposed signatures of inhomogeneity, the synthesis of very heavy elements by neutron capture, was analyzed for varying baryon to photon ratios n and length scales L. A detailed discussion is published in (Rauscher et al. 1994b). Preliminary results can be found in (Thielemann et al. 1991; Rauscher et al. 1994a).

Laser Resonance Chromatography of Superheavy Elements.

2020

Optical spectroscopy constitutes the historical path to accumulate basic knowledge on the atom and its structure. Former work based on fluorescence and resonance ionization spectroscopy enabled identifying optical spectral lines up to element 102, nobelium. The new challenges faced in this research field are the refractory nature of the heavier elements and the decreasing production yields. A new concept of ion-mobility-assisted laser spectroscopy is proposed to overcome the sensitivity limits of atomic structure investigations persisting in the region of the superheavy elements. The concept offers capabilities of both broadband-level searches and high-resolution hyperfine spectroscopy of s…

Mechanisms Suppressing Superheavy Element Yields in Cold Fusion Reactions.

2019

Superheavy elements are formed in fusion reactions which are hindered by fast nonequilibrium processes. To quantify these, mass-angle distributions and cross sections have been measured, at beam energies from below-barrier to 25% above, for the reactions of $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$, $^{50}\mathrm{Ti}$, and $^{54}\mathrm{Cr}$ with $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$. Moving from $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ to $^{54}\mathrm{Cr}$ leads to a drastic fall in the symmetric fission yield, which is reflected in the measured mass-angle distribution by the presence of competing fast nonequilibrium deep inelastic and quasifission processes. These are responsible for reduction of the compound nucleus formation probablity ${P}_{CN}$ …

Frontiers of Heavy - Ion Physics and Superheavy Elements

2003

This contribution will focus on three topics of GSI nuclear structure research: super heavy elements, direct mass measurements in the storage ring, and the measurement of spallation cross section in reversed kinematics. The GSI project for an extended synchrotron facility will be outlined.

Nuclear structure dependence of fusion hindrance in heavy element synthesis

2018

The production of the heaviest elements in fusion-evaporation reactions is substantially limited by very low cross sections, as fusion cross sections (including fusion-fission) are greatly reduced by the competing quasifission mechanism. Using the Australian National University Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility and CUBE detector array, fission fragments from the $^{48}\mathrm{Ti}+^{204,208}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{50}\mathrm{Ti}+^{206,208}\mathrm{Pb}$ reactions have been measured, with the aim to investigate how the competition between quasifission and fusion-fission evolves with small changes in entrance-channel properties associated mainly with the nuclear structure. Analysis of mass-distribution…