Recent developments in the synthesis of super heavy elements

Abstract

Throughout the passed two decades isotopes of the elements with atomic numbers 107–112 have been synthesized and unambiguously identified at the velocity filter SHIP at GSI. In a recent experiment at SHIP the results for element 112 have been confirmed and a third decay chain of the isotope 277112 has been observed. Cold fusion reactions using Pb- and Bi- targets and evaporation residue(ER)-α-α correlations together with an efficient separation and detection system are the major ingredients for the success of these experiments. The sensitivity limit of the set-up at GSI has reached the 1pb level. For a systematic investigation in this region of the chart of nuclei and to synthesize heavier nuclei this limit has to be pushed to even lower values. An extensive development program is pursued at SHIP in order to reach at least an order of magnitude lower cross sections. Systematic investigations, the construction of decay chain networks and mass measurements are some of the possible approaches to study the decay chains attributed to isotopes of the elements 114, 116 and 118 at Dubna and Berkeley, which are, in contrast to those observed at GSI, not connected to decays of known isotopes. For the Berkeley results, in particular, several trials of confirmation have been undertaken at various laboratories including GSI.