Role of nuclear deformations and proximity interactions in heavy particle radioactivity

Abstract

Based on the preformed cluster model (PCM), we have extended our earlier study on cluster decays of heavy parent nuclei to analyze the effects of different nuclear proximity potentials in the ground-state clusterization of superheavy nuclei with Z = 113, 115 and 117. In order to look for the possible role of deformations, calculations are performed for spherical as well as β2-deformed choices of fragmentation. The relevance of “hot compact” over “cold elongated” configurations due to orientations is also explored, in addition to the role of Q value and angular momentum l effects. As the PCM is based on collective clusterization picture, the preformation and penetration probabilities get modified considerably, and hence do so the decay constants and half-lives of the clusters, with the use of different nuclear proximity potentials. The comparative importance of nuclear proximity potentials Prox-1977 and Prox-2000 is analyzed and the calculated decay half-lives in the framework of PCM are compared with the recent predictions of the analytical super-asymmetric fission model (ASAFM). The possible role of shell corrections is also investigated for understanding the dynamics of heavy particle radioactivity. Finally, the potential energy surfaces are compared for different proton and neutron magic numbers in superheavy mass region.