Relativistic mean field study of the properties of Z=117 nucleus and the decay chains of $^{293,294}$117 isotopes

TL;DR

This study uses the relativistic mean field model to analyze the structure and decay properties of Z=117 superheavy nuclei, predicting shape transitions, stability, and decay characteristics across isotopes.

Contribution

It provides new theoretical predictions on the shape, stability, and decay properties of Z=117 isotopes using the relativistic mean field approach.

Findings

Almost spherical ground state structures for most isotopes.

Shape transition from prolate to oblate around A=292.

Identification of the most stable isotope as $^{288}$117.

Abstract

We have calculated the binding energy, root-mean-square radius and quadrupole deformation parameter for the recently synthesized superheavy element Z=117, using the axially deformed relativistic mean field (RMF) model. The calculation is extended to various isotopes of Z=117 element, strarting from A=286 till A=310. We predict almost spherical structures in the ground state for almost all the isotopes. A shape transition appears at about A=292 from prolate to a oblate shape structures of Z=117 nucleus in our mean field approach. The most stable isotope (largest binding energy per nucleon) is found to be the $^{288}$117 nucleus. Also, the Q-value of $\alpha$-decay $Q_\alpha$ and the half-lives $T_{\alpha}$ are calculated for the $\alpha$-decay chains of $^{293}$117 and $^{294}$117, supporting the magic numbers at N=172 and/ or 184.