Nuclear structures in heavy and superheavy region: Magic numbers play an important role in maintaining the stability of superheavy nuclei
Neutron magic number is an important probe for studying nuclear structure
image: The red ball, blue star and black square represent the corresponding results of Rn, Ra and Th isotopes, respectively. In the shell model, the neutron number N=126 is regarded as a neutron magic number. Macroscopic nuclear data indicate that both the decay energy and half-lives all show a magic change when N=126.
Credit: Xiao-Hua Li
Researchers from the University of South China have developed the Two-Potential approach to obtain the information about nuclear structure, especially for heavy and superheavy nuclei. It is found that the neutron sub-magic number may be 152 and the next neutron magic number may be 162 in heavy and superheavy region. Generally, the nuclei near the magic number tend to be more stable. Encouraged by this, the half-lives for unknown nuclei in the corresponding region has also been predicted. More importantly, the half-lives for possible new elements are also predicted. The corresponding results can provide valuable reference for future synthetic experiments.
This research systematically analyzed the nuclear structure information about heavy nuclei and superheavy nuclei using Two-potential approach. Furthermore, the half-lives for unknown nuclei are also predicted. At present, many countries around the world are competing to synthesize new elements, theoretical prediction can provide necessary support and reference, which is helpful for the design and identification of experimental work in the future.
The complete study is accessible via DOI: 10.1007/s41365-024-01579-y
Nuclear Science and Techniques (NST) is a peer-reviewed international journal sponsored by the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The journal publishes high-quality research across a broad range of nuclear science disciplines, including nuclear physics, nuclear energy, accelerator physics, and nuclear electronics. Its Editor-in-Chief is the renowned physicist, Professor Yu-Gang Ma.