Search for stabilizing effects of the Z=82 shell closure against fission

Abstract

Background: Presence of closed proton and/or neutron shells causes deviation from macrocopic properties of nuclei which are understood in terms of the liquid drop model. Efforts to synthesize artificial elements are driven by prediction of existence of closed shells beyond the heaviest doubly magic nucleus found in nature. It is important to investigate experimentally the stabilizing effects of shell closure, if any, against fission.Purpose: This work aims to investigate probable effects of proton shell (Z = 82) closure in the compound nucleus, in enhancing survival probability of the evaporation residues formed in heavy ion-induced fusion-fission reactions. Method: Evaporation residue cross sections have been measured for the reactions 19 F+ 180 Hf, 19 F+ 181 Ta and 19 F+ 182 W from ≃ 9% below to ≃ 42% above the Coulomb barrier; leading to formation of compound nuclei with same number of neutrons (N = 118) but different number of protons across Z = 82; employing the Heavy Ion Reaction Analyzer at IUAC. Measured excitation functions have been compared with statistical model calculation, in which reduced dissipation coefficient is the only adjustable parameter.Results: Evaporation residue cross section, normalized by capture cross section, is found to decrease gradually with increasing fissility of the compound nucleus. Measured evaporation residue cross sections require inclusion of nuclear viscosity in the model calculations. Reduced dissipation coefficient in the range of 1-3 × 10 21 s −1 reproduces the data quite well. Conclusions:Since entrance channel properties of the reactions and structural properties of the heavier reaction partners are very similar, degree of presence of non-compound nuclear fission, if any, is not expected to be significantly different in the three cases. No abrupt enhancement of evaporation residue cross sections has been observed in the reaction forming compound nucleus with Z = 82. Thus, this work does not find enhanced stabilizing effects of Z = 82 shell closure against fission in the compound nucleus. One may attempt to measure cross sections of individual exit channels for further confirmation of our observation.