Alpha decay chains from superheavy nuclei

Abstract

Magic islands for extra-stable nuclei in the midst of the sea of fission-instability were predicted to be around Z = 114 , 124 or, 126 with N = 184 , and Z = 120 , with N = 172 . Whether these fission-survived superheavy nuclei with high Z and N would live long enough for detection or, undergo α -decay in a very short time, remains an open question. α -decay half lives of nuclei with 130 ≥ Z ≥ 100 have been calculated in a WKB framework using density-dependent M3Y interaction with Q-values from different mass formulae. The results are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. Fission survived Sg nuclei with Z = 106 , N = 162 is predicted to have the highest α -decay half life (∼3.2 h) in the Z = 106 – 108 , N = 160 – 164 region called small island/peninsula. Superheavy nuclei with Z > 118 are found to have α -decay half lives of the order of microseconds or less.