Transuranium isotopes - an overview
As the result of a transplutonium production program, most of the actinide elements are available in weighable quantity. The transactinide elements begin with element 104, the first element beyond lawrencium (number 103, the heaviest actinide element), and extend, in principle, indefinitely. Chemical properties can be predicted using the periodic table and by calculating electronic structures using modern atomic computer programs. Successful synthesis of elements beyond those presently known will depend on hoped-for observable production cross sections and half-lives aided by nucleonic shell structure. Although half-lives become very short as the atomic number increases (1 s at 106, milliseconds at 107-109), and yields become very small (one atoms per week or less), predictions indicate that closed nucleon shells would ensure sufficiently long half-lives for detection and increased yields in the region of some larger atomic and neutron numbers (island of stability at, e.g., Z = 114 and N = 184 or subislet at N = 162). Shell structure has been observed at N = 152 and the unexpectedly long half-lives of the heaviest known elements indicate stabilization by some shell structure. The author is confident that it will be possible to reach the island of stability.
- OSTI ID:
- 6801531
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-891103-; CODEN: TANSA; TRN: 90-022358
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Vol. 60; Conference: Winter meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and nuclear power and technology exhibit, San Francisco, CA (USA), 26-30 Nov 1989; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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