Exploring The Production Of New Superheavy Nuclei With Proton And Alpha-Particle Evaporation Channels

Excitation functions for fusion-xn evaporation reaction channels induced by Ca-48 as well as by heavier projectiles (usually leading to smaller cross sections) on actinide targets were calculated in the framework of the fusion-by-diffusion (FBD) model. For the first time, in this approach, channels in which a proton (pxn) or alpha particle (alpha xn) is evaporated have been included in the first step of the de-excitation cascade. To calculate the synthesis cross sections entry data such as fission barriers, ground-state masses, deformations, and shell effects of the superheavy nuclei calculated in a consistent way within the Warsaw macroscopic-microscopic model were used. The only adjustable parameter of the FBD model is the injection point distance s(inj). The systematics determined in our previous analysis of experimental cross sections for the synthesis of superheavy nuclei of Z = 114-118 has been used. Excitation functions for the synthesis of selected (cross section above a few fb) new superheavy nuclides in the range of atomic numbers 112-120 are presented. Observation of 21 new heaviest isotopes is also predicted. A realistic discussion of the FBD model uncertainties is presented for the first time.