Competition between weak and alpha-decay modes in superheavy nuclei

TL;DR

This paper systematically analyzes the competition between alpha- and beta+/EC-decay modes in superheavy nuclei Z=119 and 120, revealing dominant decay pathways and potential for new neutron-rich nuclei formation.

Contribution

It introduces a microscopic approach combining Hartree-Fock calculations with phenomenological alpha-decay estimates to study decay mode competition in superheavy nuclei.

Findings

Alpha-decay generally dominates in superheavy nuclei.

Instances with comparable alpha- and beta+/EC-decay half-lives are identified.

Potential pathways to synthesize more neutron-rich nuclei are suggested.

Abstract

The competition between alpha- and beta+/EC-decay modes is studied systematically in nuclei along the alpha-decay chains following the synthesis of superheavy nuclei with Z = 119 and Z = 120. A microscopic approach based on deformed self-consistent Hartree-Fock mean-field calculations with Skyrme forces and pairing correlations is used to describe the beta+ and electron capture weak decays, whereas the alpha-decay is estimated from existing phenomenological expressions. It is shown that alpha-decay is in most cases the dominant decay mode, but interesting instances are identified where the half-lives are comparable, opening the possibility of new pathways towards more neutron-rich nuclei in this region.