The systematic study of spontaneous fission versus alpha decay of superheavy nuclei

Abstract

The competition between the alpha decay and spontaneous fission half-lives of even–even elements with Z = 100–122 is studied using the Coulomb and proximity potential model and the phenomenological formula for spontaneous fission. The isotopes situated within the spontaneous fission half-life parabola will have alpha decay as the dominant mode of decay. We have studied the Seaborg plots connecting the spontaneous fission half-lives with the fissionability parameter (Z2/A) in the superheavy region for isotopes with Z = 100–138. The role of relative neutron excess in spontaneous fission half-lives is also studied. The isotopes in the first quadrant of the plot for the ratio of spontaneous fission to alpha decay half-lives against relative neutron excess will survive fission and can be synthesized and detected through alpha decay. Our computed alpha decay half-lives for all isotopes agree with the values calculated by the Viola–Seaborg empirical formula and with the experimental data.