Physicists have discovered a new isotope actinium-204

A research team at the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently synthesized

new isotope - actinium-204. This is the lightest isotope of actinium discovered to date and the fourth isotope of actinium beyond the proton drain line.

Scientists conducted experiments at the Centerheavy ion research at Lanzhou (HIRFL) and China Accelerator Facility for Superheavy Elements (CAFE2). The new actinium-204 isotope was obtained in a synthesis-evaporation reaction. It was identified by the recoil-α correlation on gas-filled recoil separators. This is the 35th nuclide synthesized in the center.

The scientists then determined the alpha particle energy and half-life to be 7948 keV and 7.4 ms, respectively. Both measures are consistent with the theoretical prediction.

Spectrometer for Heavy Atoms and Nuclear Structure-2, SHANS2. Photo: IMP

For many isotopes, even-odd vibrationThe half-life is strictly synchronized with the change in the energy of α-particles. However, scientists have discovered that this rule does not apply to actinium-204, as well as some other isotopes with a neutron number of less than 119.

This phenomenon indicates a blockingthe effect of the α-decay process caused by an unpaired neutron in actinium-204. In other words, an unpaired neutron reduces the probability of α-cluster formation near the surface of the actinium-204 nucleus.

New research has helped scientists getexperimental data on the mass and α-decay of the new actinium-204 isotope. This ultimately brought physicists closer to understanding the role of the unpaired nucleon in the α-decay process.

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