S. Saro

Synthesis of nuclei of the superheavy element 114 in reactions induced by 48Ca

The stability of heavy nuclides, which tend to decay by α-emission and spontaneous fission, is determined by the structural properties of nuclear matter. Nuclear binding energies and lifetimes increase markedly in the vicinity of closed shells of neutrons or protons (nucleons), corresponding to ‘magic’ numbers of nucleons; these give rise to the most stable (spherical) nuclear shapes in the ground state. For example, with a proton number of Z = 82 and a neutron number of N = 126, the nucleus 208Pb is ‘doubly-magic’ and also exceptionally stable. The next closed neutron shell is expected at N = 184, leading to the prediction of an ‘island of stability’ of superheavy nuclei, for a broad range of isotopes with Z = 104 to 120 (refs 1, 2). The heaviest known nuclei have lifetimes of less than a millisecond, but nuclei near the top of the island of stability are predicted to exist for many years. (In contrast, nuclear matter consisting of about 300 nucleons with no shell structure would undergo fission within about 10−20 seconds.) Calculations indicate that nuclei with N > 168 should already benefit from the stabilizing influence of the closed shell at N = 184. Here we report the synthesis of an isotope containing 114 protons and 173 neutrons, through fusion of intense beams of 48Ca ions with 242Pu targets. The isotope decays by α-emission with a half-life of about five seconds, providing experimental confirmation of the island of stability.

Production and decay of269110

In an experiment carried out to identify element 110, we have observed anα-decay chain, that can be unambiguously assigned to269110. In a scries of preexperiments the excitation functions of the fusion reactions50Ti +208Pb→258104* and58Fe +208Pb→266108* were measured with high precision in order to get the optimum projectile energies for the production of these heavy elements. The cross-section maxima of the 1n evaporation channels were observed at excitation energies of 15.6 MeV and 13.4 MeV, respectively. These data result in an optimum excitation energy of 12.3 MeV of the compound nucleus for the production of269110 in the reaction62Ni +208Pb→269110 + 1n. In irradiations at the corresponding beam energy of 311 MeV we have observed a decay chain of 4 subsequent a decays. This can be assigned to the isotope with the mass number 269 of the element 110 on the basis of delayed α-α coincidences. The accurately measured decay data of the daughter isotopes of the elements 108 to 102, obtained in the previous experiments, were used. The isotope269110 decays with a hair-life of (270-120+1300) μs by emission of (11.132±0.020) MeV alpha particles. The production cross-section is (3.3-2.7+6.2) pb.

A triplet of differently shaped spin-zero states in the atomic nucleus 186 Pb

Understanding the fundamental excitations of many-fermion systems is of significant current interest. In atomic nuclei with even numbers of neutrons and protons, the low-lying excitation spectrum is generally formed by nucleon pair breaking and nuclear vibrations or rotations. However, for certain numbers of protons and neutrons, a subtle rearrangement of only a few nucleons among the orbitals at the Fermi surface can result in a different elementary mode: a macroscopic shape change. The first experimental evidence for this phenomenon came from the observation of shape coexistence in 16O (ref. 4). Other unexpected examples came with the discovery of fission isomers and superdeformed nuclei. Here we find experimentally that the lowest three states in the energy spectrum of the neutron deficient nucleus 186Pb are spherical, oblate and prolate. The states are populated by the α-decay of a parent nucleus; to identify them, we combine knowledge of the particular features of this decay with sensitive measurement techniques (a highly efficient velocity filter with strong background reduction, and an extremely selective recoil-α-electron coincidence tagging method). The existence of this apparently unique shape triplet is permitted only by the specific conditions that are met around this particular nucleus.

Review of even element super-heavy nuclei and search for element 120

Abstract.The reaction 54Cr

Large size foil-microchannel plate timing detectors

+

The upgrade of the kinematic separator VASSILISSA - Experimental results and plans

248Cm was investigated at the velocity filter SHIP at GSI, Darmstadt, with the intention to study production and decay properties of isotopes of element 120. Three correlated signals were measured, which occurred within a period of 279ms. The heights of the signals correspond with the expectations for a decay sequence starting with an isotope of element 120. However, a complete decay chain cannot be established, since a signal from the implantation of the evaporation residue cannot be identified unambiguously. Measured properties of the event chain are discussed in detail. The result is compared with theoretical predictions. Previously measured decay properties of even element super-heavy nuclei were compiled in order to find arguments for an assignment from the systematics of experimental data. In the course of this review, a few tentatively assigned data could be corrected. New interpretations are given for results which could not be assigned definitely in previous studies. The discussion revealed that the cross-section for production of element 120 could be high enough so that a successful experiment seems possible with presently available techniques. However, a continuation of the experiment at SHIP for a necessary confirmation of the results obtained in a relatively short irradiation of five weeks is not possible at GSI presently. Therefore, we decided to publish the results of the measurement and of the review as they exist now. In the summary and outlook section we also present concepts for the continuation of research in the field of super-heavy nuclei.

The discovery of a prolate-oblate-spherical shape triple of spin 0(+) states in the atomic nucleus Pb-186.

Abstract A large area foil-microchannel plate time-of-flight (TOF) system is presented. The parameters of the system are as follows: 55 cm 2 active area, 99.8% detection efficiency, 100% transparency and 700 ps time resolution. The TOF system, unique in size and conditions of exploitation, consists of two (or three) detectors used also as anticoincidence units for the analysing multistrip Si-detector array.

Large area high-efficiency time-of-flight system for detection of low energy heavy evaporation residues at the electrostatic separator VASSILISSA

Within the past twelve years, the recoil separator VASSILISSA has been used for the investigations of evaporation residues produced in heavy-ion-induced complete fusion reactions. In the course of the experimental work, fourteen new isotopes have been identified by the parent-daughter correlations in the region of elements with 92≤Z≤94. The study of the decay properties and formation cross sections of the isotopes of elements 110, 112, and 114 was performed using high-intensity 48Ca beams and 232Th, 238U, and 242Pu targets. At the beam energies corresponding to the calculated cross-section maxima of the 3n evaporation channels, the isotopes 277110, 283112, and 287114 were produced and identified. For further experiments aimed at the synthesis of the superheavy element isotopes (Z≥110) with the use of intensive 48Ca extracted beams, improvements in the ion optical system of the separator and the focal plane detector system have been made.

The new isotope 179Pb and α-decay properties of 179Tlm

Two excited J”=O+ states in ‘@Pb populated in the a-decay of lgoPo have been identified through a-particle/conversion electron coincidences in an experiment at the velocity filter SHIP. The parent lgoPo nuclei have been produced in the ‘42Nd(52Cr,4n)‘g0Po complete fusion reaction. a-particle energies and branching ratios have been measured and hindrance factors were deduced. The observed states have been interpreted as the band heads of the known prolate and (yet unobserved) oblate rotational bands in lssPb.

Gabriela setup for nuclear spectroscopy of the transfermium element isotopes at the VASSILISSA separator

Abstract A large-area thin timing detector for slow heavy nuclei was developed. The apparatus is based on the transport of secondary electrons by crossed electric and magnetic fields with subsequentamplification by micro-channel plate multipliers. To increase the registration efficiency secondary electrons are collected from the both sides of the emitter foil. An intrinsic time resolution of (380±30) ps and registration efficiency of (95±5)% were obtained for the single TOF detector using a 226 Ra α-source. A time resolution of (400±30) ps and registration efficiency close to 100% were measured for heavy ions for the single TOF detector. A time-of-flight system consisting of two such detectors is extensively used in the experiments with heavy nuclei at the kinematic separator VASSILISSA [1,2].