Abstract
Superheavy elements owe their stability due to a subtle balance between the disruptive Coulomb force and the attractive nuclear forces. Thus they represent an ideal laboratory to study basic interactions. The essential tools are detailed investigations of radioactive decay properties and nuclear structure of superheavy nuclei. The results of those studies will deliver valuable input to improve theoretical models. To fulfill this demand conclusive data of high quality are necessary, which is presently not so easy to meet due to small production cross sections and technical limitations (beam intensities, detection probabilities). Possibilities and problems concerning extraction of decay properties and nuclear structure information on the basis of a low number of observed decay events will be discussed for three illustrative examples, 257 Rf, 257 Lr, and 288 Fl.
Highlights
About fifty years ago first attempts to extent the nuclear shell model [1, 2] into regions far beyond the heaviest known doubly magic nucleus, 208Pb (Z = 82, N = 126), were undertaken
The essential tools are detailed investigations of radioactive decay properties and nuclear structure of superheavy nuclei. The results of those studies will deliver valuable input to improve theoretical models. To fulfill this demand conclusive data of high quality are necessary, which is presently not so easy to meet due to small production cross sections and technical limitations
Possibilities and problems concerning extraction of decay properties and nuclear structure information on the basis of a low number of observed decay events will be discussed for three illustrative examples, 257Rf, 257Lr, and 288Fl
Summary
About fifty years ago first attempts to extent the nuclear shell model [1, 2] into regions far beyond the heaviest known doubly magic nucleus, 208Pb (Z = 82, N = 126), were undertaken They resulted in the prediction of spherical proton (Z) and neutron (N ) shell closures at Z = 114 and N = 184 [3, 4], which came along with high shell-correction energies in the order of −8 MeV More detailed knowledge of properties and structure of heaviest nuclei is undoubtedly decisive for improvements of theoretical models Such investigations will become in future even more important than synthesis of new elements. An example are decay studies of 257Rf which will be discussed in the following
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