Spectroscopy of the heaviest elements

Abstract

The addition of modern arrays of silicon and germanium detectors at the target and focal plane positions of recoil separators has led to a wealth of new spectroscopic data concerning the structure of heavy elements. A particular region of interest has been that of the deformed nuclei close to the N=152 subshell gap. Both detailed decay and in-beam spectroscopic studies have provided complementary data on the location and ordering of single-particle states for proton number in the region of Z=100 and neutron number N=152. Instrumentation developments have allowed in-beam studies to be carried out at the unprecedented level of 20 nanobarns. The future prospects for such studies are also bright - new facilities employing high intensity stable beams are under construction and should yield lead to more significant results over the next decade. Additional long-term interest comes from the advent of next generation radioactive beam facilities which may allow limited studies in the heavy element region to be carried out.