Single particle states in the heaviest elements
The search for superheavy elements was a major theme of nuclear structure research for the past twenty years. Theoretical predictions of the stability of superheavy elements depend crucially on the single-particle energy level spacings in the vicinity of 114 protons and 184 neutrons. The approach that we are taking is to learn as much as possible about these levels from spectroscopic studies of nuclides in the A = 250 region. This is possible because there are members of the relevant spherical multiplets that drop rapidly in energy with increasing deformation, and are fairly close to ground in the strongly deformed nuclides near A = 250. The orbitals that are important for fixing the shell corrections near N = 184 are the h{sub 11/2}, j{sub 13/2} and k{sub 17/2} spherical states. For each of these spherical orbitals, there is a corresponding deformed orbital whose energy in the A = 250 region is quite sensitive to one of these spherical states, e. g. the 1/2-[761] orbital was already identified in {sup 251}Cf is quite sensitive to the spherical j{sub 13/2} orbital. The position of the 1/2+[880] deformed orbital is very sensitive to the k{sub 17/2} spherical state. According to our calculations, this state should be found at {approximately}1500 KeV in {sup 251}Cf and should be populated in a one-nucleon transfer reaction using an ({alpha},{sup 3}He) reaction. We calculated signatures for the low-lying states in {sup 251}Cf and the calculated energies and signatures are in good agreement with the experimentally observed (d,p) spectrum. We expect to see the high-j states in an ({alpha},{sup 3}He) study. Our analysis of low-lying states in {sup 251}Cf was published. The ({alpha},{sup 3}He) experiment was approved, and is waiting on the preparation of a target.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 166480
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-95/14; ON: DE96000985; TRN: 95:007970-0196
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Physics Division Annual Report, April 1, 1994--March 31, 1995; Henning, W.F.; PB: 207 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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