Macroscopic–microscopic calculations of the ground state properties of Z = 120 isotopes and their α-decay chains

Abstract

One of the substantial successes achieved in nuclear physics in the last two decades was the synthesis of dozens of isotopes of new elements up to [Formula: see text]Og, which closed the seventh row of the periodic table and inspired the ambition of adding more elements. This work aims to study extensively the ground state structure and decay properties of proposed [Formula: see text] isotopes. We employed Macroscopic–microscopic scheme based on the Skyrme energy density functional, the Woods–Saxon single-particle potential and Strutinsky’s method to find the structure properties, in a multidimensional deformation space. The same nucleon–nucleon potential is used to find the [Formula: see text]-decay half-life, within the Preformed Cluster Model. For 45 [Formula: see text]120 isotopes, the total energy surfaces, ground state masses, binding energy, deformations and fissionability are determined. The [Formula: see text]-values of the different competing decays and [Formula: see text]-decay half-lives are investigated based on the obtained structure. The results indicate the [Formula: see text]120 isotopes to be the most bound among the studied isotopes. The smallest fission barriers are indicated for the [Formula: see text]120 isotopes. The [Formula: see text]120 isotopes showed the longer half-lives against [Formula: see text]-decay, with an order of [Formula: see text]. The longest half-lives are estimated for the [Formula: see text]120 ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]120 ([Formula: see text] isotopes. The longest full decay chain ending with the stable [Formula: see text]Pb nucleus is anticipated for the [Formula: see text]120 isotope. The shortest decay chain of [Formula: see text]120 terminates after three [Formula: see text]-decays by the spontaneous fission of [Formula: see text]Fl.