Natural superheavy nuclei in astrophysical data

TL;DR

This research analyzes cosmic ray nuclei in meteorites, identifying over 21,000 heavy nuclei tracks including three potential superheavy nuclei, providing evidence for natural superheavy elements and insights into astrophysical nucleosynthesis.

Contribution

The paper presents the largest database of heavy and superheavy cosmic ray nuclei in meteorites and reports the first comparative analysis of different meteorites' data related to superheavy nuclei.

Findings

Identification of 21,743 heavy nuclei tracks in meteorites.

Detection of three superheavy nuclei with lifetimes of decades.

First comparative analysis of meteorites with different cosmic ray exposure ages.

Abstract

The paper presents the summary data of the authors' research within the framework of the OLIMPIYA project (the Russian acronym of {\bf OLI}viny iz {\bf M}eteoritov --- {\bf P}oisk tyazholykh {\bf I} sverkhtyazholykh {\bf YA}der / Olivines from meteorites: Search for heavy and superheavy nuclei) and results of track analysis for heavy cosmic ray nuclei (\emph{Z} = 26--129) in olivine crystals from meteorites using an original processing technique. A total of 21,743 tracks of nuclei heavier than iron have been identified in meteoritic matter to date to form the largest database within this charge range. The database includes three tracks of superheavy nuclei with the lifetimes of about a few decades, which can be considered as direct experimental evidence for the existence of natural superheavy nuclei from the "island of stability". Comprehensive comparative analysis of data from two meteorites with different cosmic ray exposure ages, Marjalahti (from 178 to 205 Myr) and Eagle Station (from 35 to 71 Myr), is presented for the first time. The results are discussed within the existing concepts of nuclei formation in astrophysical processes.