Nuclear Structure, Decay, and Synthesis of Heavy and Superheavy Elements
This community investigates the internal structure, decay mechanisms, and synthesis of atomic nuclei, with a specific focus on heavy and superheavy elements to map the limits of the periodic table.
The work centers on measuring the properties of nuclei far from stability, including alpha decay, spontaneous fission, and beta decay half-limes. Researchers employ heavy-ion fusion reactions and multinucleon transfer to synthesize new isotopes, while using laser spectroscopy and mass measurements to determine charge radii and binding energies. Theoretical frameworks, such as density functional theory and shell models, are applied to predict nuclear shapes and excited states. A significant portion of the research addresses neutron-rich isotopes and the behavior of superheavy nuclei, aiming to understand the forces that hold these complex systems together and why certain configurations are stable while others decay rapidly.
The largest share of the community's output is found in radium research, accounting for 6.2% of all radium research, and 1,039 papers here. Uranium contributes the highest absolute number of papers within this group, with 1,670 entries, representing 1.6% of uranium research.
The community comprises 38,210 papers, published primarily in Physical Review C, Nuclear Physics A, and Physical Review.
Recent work continues to focus on the decay properties of newly synthesized isotopes, such as berkelium and americium, and the structural transitions in exotic molybdenum and tin isotopes. Current research also explores the application of quantum annealing to nuclear pairing problems and the measurement of charge radii near neutron driplines.