Eur. Phys. J. D 45, 17-23 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2007-00208-4

Study of heavy nuclei at FLNR (Dubna)

Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (JINR), 141980 Dubna, Moscow region, Russia

Corresponding author: ^a oganessian@jinr.ru

Received: 15 November 2006
Published online: 27 June 2007

Abstract

Experiments are described and main results presented on the synthesis and decay properties of superheavy nuclides, produced in fusion reactions induced by a ⁴⁸Ca-beam on heavy actinide targets. In such reactions neutron-rich nuclei are formed. For them, according to theory, an abrupt enhancement of stability due to nuclear shell effects is expected. The decay properties of the new nuclides are compared with calculations of theoretical models, which predict the existence of “islands of stability” in the region of hypothetical superheavy elements.