Prediction of α -decay chains and cluster radioactivity of 121300–304 and 122302–306 isotopes using the double-folding potential

Abstract

The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$- and cluster-decay half-lives for the two superheavy nuclei (SHN) with $Z=121$ and 122 have been calculated within the density-dependent cluster model. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-nucleus potential was constructed by employing the double-folding model with a realistic $NN$ interaction whose exchange part has a finite range. We considered five isotopes for each one of the two SHN, $Z=121$ and 122, and compared the calculated $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay half-lives with those obtained from three semiempirical formulas, namely, the Viola-Seaborg-Sobiczewski formula, the modified Brown formula, and the semiempirical formula based on fission theory. The calculated $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay half-lives are in good agreement with their counterparts. We studied the competition between $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay and spontaneous fission and predicted possible decay modes for the SHN $^{300--304}121$ and $^{302--306}122$. The cluster decays for $^{300}121$ and $^{302}122$ have been studied within the double folding model, the unified formula, the scaling law of Horoi, and the universal decay law (UDL). We found that the UDL model predicts the possibility of heavy cluster emission from $^{300}121$ and $^{302}122$. We found that the proton and neutron numbers in the emitted clusters and their residual daughter nuclei are magic or near to the magic numbers. We hope that the theoretical prediction of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-decay chains and cluster radioactivity could be helpful for future investigation in this field.