Possible synthesis of new and super-heavy elements via cluster decay

Abstract

Cluster decays of some heavy and super-heavy, formed in heavy-ion 'cold fusion' reactions, are studied within a preformed cluster decay model. The cold super-asymmetric fission of these nuclei is also investigated. Some of the calculated exotic cluster decays from the ground to ground or excited to excited states are found to have half-liver T12/<1025 s, which are measurable with presently available experimental techniques. If such decays of the compound systems are observed as the long lived, super asymmetric, spontaneous fission activity, or simply as the cold fission process, it could give rise to some other new, heavy and super-heavy nuclei. Shell stabilization effects due to both the spherical and deformed shell closures are found to be responsible for selecting both the favourable cold fusion reactions as well as the most probable cluster decays.