Chemical Identification of a Long-Lived Isotope of Dubnium, a Descendant of Element 115

The recognition criterion for discovery of a new chemical element includes two aspects, the characterization properties and the assignment properties. In this paper, we will discuss the status of element 115 experiments that have been performed in Dubna, Russia, highlighting the characterization and assignment properties as they specifically relate to a recent experiment. After discussing the status of what is known about the decay properties of element 115 [1], observed previously using the Dubna Gas-Filled Recoil Separator, we will discuss the prior chemical studies that have been performed on the Db descendant of element 115 [2]. Following the success of that experiment, some additional chemical information was desired. Two separation chemistries were then developed at LLNL and JINR. LLNL utilized reversed phase chromatography and JINR utilized anion exchange chromatography to perform not only +4/+5 separations, but also intra-group separations, where Nb-like and Ta-like fractions were eluted. The results from an experiment using these chemistries for the first time during December 2005 in Dubna, Russia, will be compared with prior chemical results. We will conclude with a discussion of possible enhancements to the work already performed and the current status of the future experimental plans

Observation of enhanced nuclear stability near the 162 neutron shell

In bombardments of {sup 248}Cm with {sup 22}Ne the authors discovered two new isotopes, {sup 265}106 and {sup 266}106, by establishing genetic links between {alpha} decays of the 106 nuclides and SF or {alpha} decays of the daughter (grand-daughter) nuclides. For {sup 266}106 they measured E{sub {alpha}}=8.62{+-}0.06 MeV followed by the SF decay of {sup 262}104 for which they measured a half-life value of 1.2{sup +1.0}{sub {minus}0.5} s. For {sup 265}106 they measured E{sub {alpha}}=8.82{+-}0.06 MeV. They estimated {alpha} half-lives of 10-30 s for {sup 266}106 and 2-30 s for {sup 265}106 with SF branches of {approximately}50% or less. The decay properties of {sup 266}106 indicate a large enhancement in the SF stability of this N=160 nuclide and confirm the existence of the predicted neutron-deformed shell N=162

Attempt to produce element 120 in the 244 Pu + 58 Fe reaction

An experiment aimed at the synthesis of isotopes of element 120 has been performed using the 244 Pu( 58 Fe,xn) 302−x 120 reaction. No decay chains consistent with fusion-evaporation reaction products were observed during an irradiation with a beam dose of 7.1 × 10 18 330-MeV 58 Fe projectiles. The sensitivity of the experiment corresponds to a cross section of 0.4 pb for the detection of one decay

Synthesis of the isotopes of elements 118 and 116 in the 249Cf and 245Cm+48Ca fusion reactions

The decay properties of {sup 290}116 and {sup 291}116, and the dependence of their production cross sections on the excitation energies of the compound nucleus, {sup 293}116, have been measured in the {sup 245}Cm({sup 48}Ca,xn){sup 293-x}116 reaction. These isotopes of element 116 are the decay daughters of element 118 isotopes, which are produced via the {sup 249}Cf+{sup 48}Ca reaction. They performed the element 118 experiment at two projectile energies, corresponding to {sup 297}118 compound nucleus excitation energies of E* = 29.2 {+-} 2.5 and 34.4 {+-} 2.3 MeV. During an irradiation with a total beam dose of 4.1 x 10{sup 19} {sup 48}Ca projectiles, three similar decay chains consisting of two or three consecutive {alpha} decays and terminated by a spontaneous fission (SF) with high total kinetic energy of about 230 MeV were observed. The three decay chains originated from the even-even isotope {sup 294}118 (E{sub {alpha}} = 11.65 {+-} 0.06 MeV, T{sub {alpha}} = 0.89{sub -0.31}{sup +1.07} ms) produced in the 3n-evaporation channel of the {sup 249}Cf+{sup 48}Ca reaction with a maximum cross section of 0.5{sub -0.3}{sup +1.6} pb