Calculations of the cross sections for synthesis of new {293-296}118 isotopes in {249-252}Cf(48Ca,xn) reactions

TL;DR

This paper calculates the cross sections for synthesizing new isotopes of element 118 using calcium-48 beams on californium targets, providing energy-dependent predictions for experimental planning.

Contribution

It introduces detailed excitation function calculations for multiple Cf isotopes bombarded with 48Ca, using the fusion-by-diffusion model with predicted nuclear properties.

Findings

Predicted excitation functions for all reactions involving Cf isotopes and 48Ca.

Energy dependence of cross sections for synthesizing isotopes 293-296 of element 118.

Guidance for experimental synthesis of superheavy elements at Dubna.

Abstract

A project of using a target consisting of the mixture of (249-252)Cf isotopes to be bombarded with the 48Ca beam, aimed to synthesize new isotopes of the heaviest known element Z = 118, is under way at the FLNR in Dubna. In the present work excitation functions for all the reactions: 249Cf(48Ca,xn)(297-x)118, 250Cf(48Ca,xn)(298-x)118, 251Cf(48Ca,xn)(299-x)118 and 252Cf(48Ca,xn)(300-x)118 have been calculated in the framework of the fusion-by-diffusion model, assuming fission barriers, ground-state masses and shell effects of the superheavy nuclei predicted by Kowal et al. Energy dependence of the effective cross sections for the synthesis of selected new isotopes: (293)118, (294)118, (295)118 and (296)118 is predicted for the particular isotopic composition of the Cf target prepared for the Dubna experiment.