Alpha-decay chains of Z=122 superheavy nuclei using cubic plus proximity potential with improved transfer matrix method

Abstract

The alpha decay chain properties of Z = 122 isotope in the mass range 298£ A £ 350, even-even nuclei, are studied using a fission-like model with an effective combination of the cubic plus proximity potential in the pre and post-scission regions, wherein the decay rates are calculated using improved transfer matrix method, and the results are in good agreement with other phenomenological formulae such as Universal decay law, Viola-Seaborg, Royer, etc. The nuclear ground-state masses are taken from WS4 mass model. The next minimum in the half-life curves of the decay chain obtained at N=186,178 & 164 suggest the shell closure at N=184, 176 & 162 which coincides well with the predictions of two-centre shell model approach. This study also unveils that the isotopes ^{298-300, 302, 304-306, 308-310, 312,314}122 show 7a, 5a, 4a, 3a, 2a and 1a decay chain, respectively. All the other isotopes from A = 316 to 350 may undergo spontaneous fission since the obtained SF half -lives are comparatively less. The predictions in the present study may have an impact in the experimental synthesis and detection of the new isotopes in near future.