Exploring the limits of existence of proton-rich nuclei in the Z=70–82 region

Abstract

$\ensuremath{\alpha}$-, $\ensuremath{\beta}$-, and proton-decay energies have been combined with TITAN mass values for $^{150--157}\mathrm{Yb}$ to expand and refine the mass surface in the proton-rich $Z=70--82$ region. The calculations were performed using the Atomic Mass Evaluation (AME) algorithm, resulting in 11 new ground-state masses and uncertainty reductions of nine others. The new information allows the determination of the two-proton drip line for elements between Ir and Pb and provides indications of possible new candidates for two-proton emission. In addition, we examined binding energies in this region for Thomas-Ehrman shifts, so far only visible for light nuclides.