Conveners
Heavy & Superheavy Elements: SHE 1
- Jacklyn Gates (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Heavy & Superheavy Elements: SHE 2
- Jennifer Pore (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Isotopes of SuperHeavy Elements (SHE) boast extraordinary numbers of protons and neutrons and push the boundaries of the nuclear chart and our understanding of nuclear structure. Typically, SHE isotopes follow one of two primary decay paths: emission of an $\alpha$ particle or Spontaneous Fission (SF). A more robust understanding of the mechanism for SF in the SHE region is of great...
Mass-angle distribution (MAD) measurements of nuclear fission fragments have illuminated many aspects of the physical variables controlling quasifission [1]. This tool has been exploited to probe the dynamics of the nuclear fusion reactions used for synthesizing heavy and superheavy nuclei. A fundamental understanding of quasifission, and how it can be minimized, is sought to optimize the...
At the 88-inch cyclotron facility of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) the decay properties of heavy and superheavy elements are studied using the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator (BGS). So far, the heaviest known elements found on the periodic table are best produced through fusion-evaporation reactions involving actinide targets and intense beams of $^{48}$Ca. To search for potential...
Quasi-fission reactions present a substantial hindrance to the formation of super heavy elements. The collision of two heavy nuclei leading to a quasi-fission reaction produces fragments with strikingly similar characteristics to those of fusion-fission reactions. However, unlike fusion-fission, there is no intermediate formation of a fully equilibrated compound nucleus.
This departure from...
Several campaigns have been undertaken in order to synthesize new superheavy elements (SHEs). In order to determine the optimal experimental parameters for success, there has been much attention given to factors that are important to the survival of the compound nucleus. Among these factors is the effect of nuclear deformation: it is known that a larger quadrupole deformation results in an...
Investigating the boundaries of the nuclear chart and understanding the structure of the heaviest elements are at the forefront of nuclear physics. The existence of the superheavy nuclei is intimately linked to nuclear shell effects which counterpart Coulomb repulsion and therefore hinder spontaneous fission. In the region of heavy deformed nuclei weak shell gaps arise around $Z$=100 and...
Exploring the new elements toward the high end of the nuclear chart is one of the most interesting topics in nuclear physics. The key ingredient to stabilize nucleus in this region is a nuclear shell structure and Z=114, 120, N=184 are predicted to be new magic numbers. However, the access to such nuclei and study of their shell structure is limited by the very low cross sections. To...
Several experiments aimed at chemical properties of superheavy elements (SHE) have studied the interactions of single atoms on the surface of Si-based solid-state α-detectors. Recent advancements include coating the detectors with thin layers, such as Au, to test the effects of different surfaces. Without advancements in α-spectroscopy, the results can be inconclusive.
To overcome this, a...
At the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University, the Heavy Elements Group has been working to study compound nucleus survivability, develop new techniques for heavy element chemistry experiments, and increase the sensitivity of the AGGIE gas-filled separator. As an analog of superheavy element production, we have investigated the effects excitation energy, deformation, and neutron binding...
