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Have superheavy elements been produced in nature?

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Abstract

We discuss the possibility whether superheavy elements can be produced in Nature by the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process. To this end we have performed fully dynamical network r-process calculations assuming an environment with neutron-to-seed ratio large enough to produce superheavy nuclei. Our calculations include two sets of nuclear masses and fission barriers and include all possible fission channels and the associated fission yield distributions. Our calculations produce superheavy nuclei with \(\ensuremath A\approx 300\) that however decay on time scales of days.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121, Bonn, Germany

    I. Petermann

  2. GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Planckstraße 1, D-64291, Darmstadt, Germany

    K. Langanke & G. Martínez-Pinedo

  3. Technische Universität Darmstadt, Institut für Kernphysik, Schlossgartenstr. 2, D-64289, Darmstadt, Germany

    K. Langanke & G. Martínez-Pinedo

  4. Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Ruth-Moufang Str. 1, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany

    K. Langanke

  5. Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstr. 82, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    I. V. Panov & F. -K. Thielemann

  6. Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, B. Cheremushkinskaya St. 25, 117259, Moscow, Russia

    I. V. Panov

  7. Institut für Theoretische Physik II, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 7, D-91058, Erlangen, Germany

    P. -G. Reinhard

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  1. I. Petermann
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Communicated by M. Hjorth-Jensen

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Petermann, I., Langanke, K., Martínez-Pinedo, G. et al. Have superheavy elements been produced in nature?. Eur. Phys. J. A 48, 122 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2012-12122-6

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