Influence of hexadecapole deformation on production cross sections of superheavy nuclei

Abstract

The current heaviest superheavy nuclei (SHN) are experimentally synthesized by using 48Ca to bombard actinide nuclei via fusion reactions. Actinide nuclei often have considerable hexadecapole deformation in addition to quadrupole deformation, which was not considered in previous theoretical studies. With the dinuclear system concept, and by taking the hexadecapole deformation in to consideration in addition to the quadrupole deformation, the hot fusion probability leading to the synthesis of SHN is investigated systematically. Synthesis of superheavy elements 296118 and 295118 by using the 48Ca+251Cf reaction channel is evaluated and discussed, and the maximal evaporation residue cross sections (ERCSs) of the 3n and 4n channels are predicted to be 1.90 and 0.11 pb, respectively. The predicted maximum ERCSs in 3n and 4n evaporation channels of the 249Bk(50Ti,xn) reaction are 0.12 and 0.04 pb, respectively. The most favorable reaction to synthesize the element Z = 120 turns out to be 251Cf(50Ti,xn)120, but the predicted maximum cross section for this reaction is only 67 fb. Therefore, superheavy element 119 may be the most hopeful new element for to be synthesized under some improved experimental conditions in the near future.