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Fusion-evaporation and fusion-fission cross sections have been measured in the reaction 48 Ca+ 154 Sm from well below to well above the Coulomb barrier. The comparison of fusion cross sections for this reaction with previous data corresponding to 16 O+ 186 W, leading to the same compound nucleus 202 Pb * , puts in evidence an interesting competition between sub-barrier enhancement, due to the strong couplings related to the 154 Sm deformation, and above barrier suppression for the 48 Ca induced reaction. The fusion hindrance mechanism has been attributed to the strong quasi-fission component observed in the mass-energy distributions of fission fragments.

We have studied the mass and energy distributions of fission fragments from the two reactions ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}{+}^{204}\mathrm{Pb}$ and ${}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}{+}^{168}\mathrm{Er}$ that lead to the same compound nucleus ${}^{216}{\mathrm{Ra}}^{*}.$ Despite the fact that the excitation energy was around 40 MeV in both cases, the contribution from asymmetric fission in the first reaction is only around 1.5% but is about 30% in the second. This marked increase in the yield of asymmetric products is connected to the quasifission process, in which important shell effects become evident. The mass-energy distributions are interpreted in terms of an independent decay mode competing with the normal fusion-fission process and possibly leading to a significant suppression of the fusion cross section itself.

Near-barrier excitation functions have been measured for evaporation-residue production and fission in the 12C + 204,206,208Pb and 48Ca + 168,170Er systems that lead to the compound nuclei 216,218,220Ra*. A Pronounced suppression of evaporation-residue production is observed for the more symmetric combinations, 48Ca + 168,170Er. We relate this to the significant quasifission components already observed for these systems.

A numerical approach has been developed for the calculation of fusion-evaporation excitation functions taking into account the heavy ion beam energy distribution inside the target. The approach uses statistical model approximations of the HIVAP code for the calculations of evaporation residue excitation functions in the ordinary way and the Monte Carlo TRIM simulations for the determination of beam energy distributions inside the target. Several applications of the approach have been considered to evaluate the effect of the beam energy distributions inside the target on fusion-evaporation excitation functions calculated in the ordinary way.

The reaction 243Am + 48Ca has been reinvestigated to provide new evidence for the discovery of elements 113, 115. Twenty eight new 288115 decay chains were detected in this reaction to increase from three to 31 the number of 288115 atoms observed. In addition, four new decay chains were observed for the first time and assigned to the decay of 289115. These new 289115 events have the same properties for their decay chains as those observed for 289115 populated in the alpha decay of 293117 produced in the 249Bk + 48Ca reaction to provide cross-bombardment evidence. These new high statistics data sets and the cross-bombardment agreement provide definitive evidence for the discoveries of the new elements with Z = 113, 115, 117.

The synthesis of the new chemical element with atomic number Z=117 is presented. The isotopes 293117 and 294117were produced in fusion reactions between 48Ca and 249Bk. The 249Bk was produced in the High Flux Isotope Reactor and chemically separated at Oak Ridge. Decay chains involving eleven new nuclei were identified by means of the Dubna Gas Filled Recoil Separator. The measured decay properties show a strong rise of stability for super-heavy nuclei toward N=184.

By employing the kinematic separator VASSILISSA and the beams of 20,22Ne, 24,26Mg, 40Ar and 40Ca we studied 18 projectile‐target combinations leading to formation of compound nuclei with atomic numbers 83‐102 and obtained xn, pxn, and αxn evaporation residues in the range of the projectile energy extending from the Coulomb barrier to the values corresponding to the compound nucleus excitation of about 100 MeV. The systematics is presented of the maximum xn reaction cross‐sections which are governed by the fissility of the reaction products. As a result, the values of macroscopic fission barriers were extracted for the neutron‐deficient nuclides in the range of Z=83–92 and N=104–134. These values are discussed in terms of contrasting with predictions of the rotating droplet model. Three isotopes, 252,253,254102, were obtained as deexcitation products of the 258102 compound nucleus formed by 22Ne and 26Mg projectiles. Some conclusions are drawn from these results about the possible use of 22Ne and 26Mg beam...

In continuation of our work on investigation of the neutron-deficient plutonium isotopes [1] we carried out the experiments aimed to produce new isotopes228,229Pu. The isotope228Pu has been produced in the bombardment of the208Pb target with a beam of24Mg and the isotope229Pu — in the reactions of207,208Pb targets with26Mg projectiles. The isotopes were identified after in-flight separation from the beam and target-like particles by the VASSILISSA electrostatic separator [2] and implantation into silicon strip detectors. The assignment of unknown α-decays was made by establishing their genetic position and time correlations with those belonging to known α-decay chains. The α-decay energies of228,229Pu were measured to be (7810±20) keV and (7460±30) keV, respectively.

In continuation of our experimental program on investigation of evaporation residues (ER's) in the region close to N=126 [1, 2], the new neutron-deficient isotope219U has been produced in the irradiations of an197Au target with a beam of27A1 ions. The identification of219U was made establishing genetic position and time correlations between the implanted ER's with their subsequentα-decays. Theα-decay energy and half-life were measured to be (9680±40) keV and (42−13+34)μs, respectively. To separate the evaporation residues in-flight the kinematic separator VASSILISSA [3] was used.

1. In the249Bk(15N, 4n)260Ku reaction an isotope of kurchatovium (element 104) is obtained which decays by spontaneous fission with a half-life of ∼0.1 sec. This result is in complete agreement with conclusions of earlier works [1, 3, 5] in which260Ku was synthesized in other combinations of target and particle:242Pu+22Ne,246Cm+18O. 2. The failure to observe260Ku with T1/2≈0.1 sec at Berkeley [10, 11] resulted from improper experimental arrangements and data processing. 3. The detection of the spontaneous fission of nuclei of an unknown isotope when background is properly considered and suppressed permits the identification of the Z and A of the nuclei under study.

By employing the 249Cf(4He, 3n) and 208Pb(48Ca, 2n) reactions, experiments to study the stability against spontaneous fission of the nuclides 250Fm and 254102 as well as of the two-quasi-particle (2q-p) K isomers 250mFm (T1/2 = 1.8 ± 0.1 s) and 254m102 (T1/2 = 0.28 ± 0.04s) have been performed. The ground-state spontaneous fission of the two nuclides has been discovered and the corresponding branching ratios bsf and partial half-lives Tsf, respectively, have been determined to be: (6.9 ± 1.0) × 10−5, 0.83 ± 0.15 yr for 250Fm; (1.7 ± 0.5) × 10−3, (3.2 ± 0.9) × 104s for 254102. As a by-product of these studies, new data about cross sections of the 206,208Pb(48Ca, xn) reactions have been obtained. Experiments designed to search for the spontaneous fission decay of the 2q-p K-isomeric states in 250Fm and 254102 have not revealed the effect in question. The lower limits of the ratios of the partial spontaneous fission half-lives for the 2q-p K-isomeric states to those for the respective ground states, Tsf*/Tsf, have been established to be ≥ 10−1 for 250mFm/250Fm and ≥ 5 × 10−3 for 254m102/254102. This means that the stability of the 2q-p K-isomeric states in 250Fm and 254102 against spontaneous fission is practically not inferior to that of the ground states of these nuclei. In accord with the experimental findings, the theoretical estimates of Tsf*/Tsf made in the present paper show that, due to the influence of the specialization and blocking effects on the potential energy and the effective mass associated with fission, spontaneous fission from 2q-p K-isomeric states cannot be facilitated but, on the contrary, should be essentially hindered compared with ground-state spontaneous fission.

Available data on evaporation residue (ER) production and fission in a wide region of compound nucleus (CN) masses and entrance-channel mass-asymmetry values have been analyzed in search for the 'starting point', where the fusion suppression due to the quasi-fission (QF) effect starts to show up. Comparing cross sections for the ER production and fission in reactions leading to the same CN, but having different values of entrance-channel mass-asymmetry, one can extract the fusion probability for a more symmetric combination with respect to quite an asymmetric one, where no limitation seems to occur. An attempt to find correlations between the fusion probabilities derived for the considered combinations and some entrance-channel characteristics is undertaken.

International audience; Recent experimental data showing the interplay between fusion hindrance effects and the onset of the quasi-fission mechanism are presented. The aim of such investigations is understanding the role of entrance channel properties on the competing fusion-fission and quasi-fission processes, also in connection with the possible implications for superheavy element production. In this context, the role of mass asymmetry, nuclear deformation and shell effects is discussed.

Experimental results on the fusion inhibition effect near the Coulomb barrier due to the onset of the quasi-fission mechanism are presented. The investigation was focused on reactions induced by $^{48}$Ca projectiles on different heavy targets and comparing them to reactions induced by light ions such as $^{12}$C and $^{16}$O leading to the same compound nuclei. Cross sections and angular distributions of evaporation residues and fission fragments have been measured.