Chemistry Nexus

Workers in the USA verify the production of element 114 in the reaction of 244-MeV ⁴⁸Ca with ²⁴²Pu. Two chains of time- and position-correlated decays were assigned to ²⁸⁶114 and ²⁸⁷114. The observed decay modes, half-lives, and decay energies agree with the original claims of researchers at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna in Russia. The Russian results were first reported in 1999. Such independent verification is vital for verification purposes. The measured cross sections at a center-of-target energy of 244 MeV for the ²⁴²Pu(⁴⁸Ca,3–4n)²⁸⁷,²⁸⁶114 reactions were 1.4(+3.2, -1.2) pb each, which are lower than the reported values.¹

Abstract

Independent verification of the production of element 114 in the reaction of 244-MeV ⁴⁸Ca with ²⁴²Pu is presented. Two chains of time- and position-correlated decays have been assigned to ²⁸⁶114 and ²⁸⁷114. The observed decay modes, half-lives, and decay energies agree with published results. The measured cross sections at a center-of-target energy of 244 MeV for the ²⁴²Pu(⁴⁸Ca,3–4n)²⁸⁷,²⁸⁶114 reactions were 1.4(+3.2, -1.2) pb each, which are lower than the reported values.

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