MY JOURNEY TO THE SUPERHEAVY ISLAND
WITH SZYMANSKI, NILSSON, NIX, AND SWIATECKI
FROM LYSEKIL TO THE PRESENT
P. MÖLLER
Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico 87545, USA
This paper
was presented at
16th Nuclear Physics Workshop "Marie & Pierre Curie"
Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, September 23 -27, 2009,
and submitted to
Journal of Modern Physics E on November 17, 2009
Published: Journal of Modern Physics E, 19 (2010) 575
It has been assigned Los Alamos National Laboratory Preprint No LA-UR-09-07716.
Abstract:
We discuss the great theoretical insights on nuclear stability that emerged in
the late 1960ies, especially the realization that observable nuclei might
include a superheavy island 20+ protons beyond uranium with 92 protons.
However, we now realize that the early models were not sufficiently quantitative
to yield definite conclusions. Further groundwork for such models were laid in
the 1970ies. Around 1980 more quantitative, global and universal models appeared
and together with experimental advances the mapping of the superheavy island, or
as it turns out now, continent started in earnest. We review these early
developments and conclude with some examples of our current insights. In
particular, 1) some theoretical models do have predictive capabilities for
nuclear properties such as ground-state masses, shapes, and half-lives 10 or
more neutrons and protons away from previously known regions and 2) the
superheavy island may be a continent connected to the actinides by a narrow land
bridge; the continent itself may extend from about proton number Z = 110$ to
Z = 120 or slightly beyond.
Four of the 7 Figures are in color, so the paper should be printed
on a color printer.
The complete manuscript in color
as a .ps.gz file
is
available for download.
The complete manuscript in color
as a .pdf file
is also
available for download. The .ps file may yield
better quality when printed, but if you have
trouble printing it use the .pdf file, read it into
acroread and request "fit to printing area" as one
of the options, before hitting the print button.
We provide the 7 figures, formatted for printing full-page, as individual
.ps.gz files
and also as .pdf files which may be suitable
to include in presentation files. The .ps files can
be directly edited by a person knowledgeable
in postscript and will retain their sharpness if
blown up to huge sizes:
Black-and-white Figure 1 (ps.gz)
or Figure 1 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Black-and-white Figure 2 (ps.gz)
or Figure 2 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Color Figure 3 (ps.gz)
or Figure 3 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Color Figure 4 (ps.gz)
or Figure 4 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Black-and-white Figure 5 (ps.gz)
or Figure 5 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Black-and-white Figure 6 (ps.gz)
or Figure 6 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Black-and-white Figure 7 (ps.gz)
or Figure 7 (.pdf)
are
available for download.
Peter Moller
Last modified: Thu July 4, 2012