Developments in fission, fusion, clusterradioactivity and the extension of the periodic system of elements

Abstract

The extension of the periodic system into various new areas is investigated. Experiments for the synthesis of superheavy elements and the predictions of magic numbers are reviewed. Different ways of nuclear decay are discussed, like cluster radioactivity, cold fission and cold multifragmentation, including the recent discovery of the triple fission of252Cf. Furthermore, investigations on hypernuclei and the possible production of antimatter clusters in heavy-ion collisions are reported. A perspective for future research is given.