Nuclear potential and fusion cross sections for synthesizing super-heavy elements in di-nuclear systems

A double folding method with simplified Skyreme-type nucleon-nucleon interaction is used to calculate the nuclear interaction potential between two nuclei. The calculation is performed in tip-to-tip orientation of the two nuclei if they are deformed. Based on this methods, the potential energy surfaces, the fusion probabilities and the evaporation residue cross sections for some cold fusion reactions leading to super-heavy elements within di-nuclear system model are evaluated. It is indicated that after the improvement, the exponential decreasing systematics of the fusion probability with increasing charge number of projectile on the Pb based target become better and the evaporation residue cross sections are in better agreement with the experimental data.

Isotopic dependence of production cross sections of superheavy nuclei in hot fusion reactions

The dinuclear system model has been further developed by introducing the barrier distribution function method in the process of heavy-ion capture and fusion to synthesize superheavy nuclei. The capture of two colliding nuclei, formation and de-excitation process of compound nucleus are decribed by using empirical coupled channel model, solving master equation numerically and statistical evaporation model, respectively. Within the framework of the dinuclear system model, the fusion-evaporation excitation functions of the systems Ca-48(Am-243, 3n-5n) (288-286)115 and Ca-48(Cm-248, 3n-5n)(293-291)116 are calculated, which are used for synthesizing new superheavy nuclei at Dubna in recent years. Isotopic dependence of production cross sections with double magic nucleus Ca-48 bombarding actinide targets U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm to synthesize superheavy nuclei with charged numbers Z=112-116 is analyzed systematically. Based on these analysis, the optimal projectile-target combination and the optimal excitation energy are proposed. It is shown that shell correction energy and neutron separation energy will play an important role on the isotopic dependence of production cross sections of superheavy nuclei.

The influence of nuclear orientation in fusion dynamics

Fusion barriers have been calculated for different orientations of the axial symmetry axis of deformed projectile-and target-nucleus. Using the concept of dinuclear system, considering the strong competition between fusion and quasifission processes, by solving the master equation numerically to calculate the fusion probability of superheavy nuclei, we have estimated the dependence of the fusion probabilities for Ge-76 + Pb-208 and Ca-48 + Pu-244 on the orientation angles of the symmetry axis of projectile-and target-nucleus, which shows that belly-belly is the most favorable orientation for synthesizing superheavy nuclei.

Particle transfer and fusion cross-section for super-heavy nuclei in dinuclear system

Within the dinuclear system (DNS) conception, instead of solving the Fokker-Planck equation (FPE) analytically, the master equation is solved numerically to calculate the fusion probability of super-heavy nuclei, so that the harmonic oscillator approximation to the potential energy of the DNS is avoided. The relative motion concerning the energy, the angular momentum and the fragment deformation relaxations is explicitly treated to couple with the diffusion process. The nucleon transition probabilities, which are derived microscopically, are related with the energy dissipation of the relative motion. Thus they are time dependent. Comparing with the analytical solution of FPE at the equilibrium, our time-dependent results preserve more dynamical effects. The calculated evaporation residue cross-sections for one-neutron emission channel of Pb-based reactions are basically in agreement with the known experimental data within one order of magnitude.

Study on dynamic fusion barrier in heavy-ion fusion reactions

By means of the improved quantum molecular dynamics model, the incident energy dependent dynamical fusion potential barriers for heavy nucleus reaction systems are investigated. It is found that with decrease of incident energy the lowest dynamic barrier is obtained which approaches to the adiabatic static barrier and with increase of the incident energy the dynamic barrier goes up to the diabatic static barrier. Based on the dynamical study a microscopic understanding of the extra-push in fusion reactions of heavy systems and a new explanation of tunneling process for the fusion at the incident energy below the static and above the lowest dynamic barrier are presented. In order to understand the energy dependence of the dynamical barrier we also pay a great attention to study the neck formation and shape deformation during the dynamic lowering of the barrier.

Production of Superheavy Nuclei in Massive fusion reactions

A master equation is constructed to treat the nucleon transfer process in heavy ion fusion reactions to form superheavy nucleus. The relative motion concerning the energy, the angular momentum and the fragment deformation relaxations is explicitly treated to couple with the diffusion process. The nucleon transition probabilities, which are derived microscopically, are thus time dependent. The calculated evaporation residue cross-sections for both cold and hot fusion are in good agreement with the known experimental data.

Production mechanism of superheavy nuclei in massive fusion reactions

Within the concept of the dinuclear system (DNS), a dynamical model is used for describing the formation of superheavy residues in massive fusion reactions, in which the capture of two colliding nuclei, the formation and de-excitation of the compound nucleus are described by using a barrier distribution method, solving master equations numerically and statistical approach, respectively. Using the DNS model, the production cross sections of superheavy nuclei are calculated and compared with the available experimental data. The isotopic dependence of the cross sections to produce the superheavy element Z=116 by the two types of the reactions is discussed and the possible reasons influencing the isotopic trends are analyzed systematically.

Competing fusion and quasifission reaction mechanisms in the production of superheavy nuclei

Within the framework of a dinuclear system model, a new master equation is constructed and solved, which includes the relative distance of nuclei as a new dynamical variable in addition to the mass asymmetry variable so that the nucleon transfer, which leads to fusion and the evolution of the relative distance, which leads to quasifission (QF) are treated simultaneously in a consistent way. The QF mass yields and evaporation residual cross sections to produce superheavy nuclei are systematically investigated under this framework. The results fit the experimental data well. It is shown that the Kramers formula gives results of QF, which agree with those by our diffusion treatment, only if the QF barrier is high enough. Otherwise some large discrepancies occur.

Influence of entrance channels on the formation of superheavy nuclei in massive fusion reactions

Within the framework of the dinuclear system (DNS) model, the production cross sections of superheavy nuclei Hs (Z=108) and Z=112 combined with different reaction systems are analyzed systematically. It is found that the mass asymmetries and the reaction Q values of the projectile target combinations play a very important role on the formation cross sections of the evaporation residues. Both methods to obtain the fusion probability by nucleon transfer by solving a set of microscopically derived master equations along the mass asymmetry degree of freedom (ID) and distinguishing protons and neutrons of fragments (2D) are compared with each other and also with the available experimental data. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methanol synthesis from CO2 using a silicone rubber/ceramic composite membrane reactor

A one-dimensional isothermal pseudo-homogeneous parallel flow model was developed for the methanol synthesis from CO2 in a silicone rubber/ceramic composite membrane reactor. The fourth-order Runge-Kutta method was adopted to simulate the process behaviors in the membrane reactor. How those parameters affect the reaction behaviors in the membrane reactor, such as Damkohler number Da, pressure ratio p(r), reaction temperature T, membrane separation factor alpha, membrane permeation parameter phi , as well as the non-uniform parameter of membrane permeation L-1, were discussed in detail. Parts of the theoretical results were tested and verified; the experimental results showed that the conversion of the main reaction in the membrane reactor increased by 22% against traditional fixed bed reactor, and the optimal non-uniform parameter of membrane permeation rate, L-1.opt ,does exist. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Synthesis of NaA zeolite membrane on a ceramic hollow fiber

NaA zeolite membrane was successfully synthesized on a ceramic hollow fiber with an outer diameter of 400 mum, a thickness of 100 mum and an average pore radius of 0.1 mum. The as-synthesized membranes were characterized by XRD, SEM as well as gas permeation. A continuous C NaA zeolite membrane formed after a three-stage synthesis. The membrane thickness was similar to5 mum. Gas permeation data indicated that a relatively high quality NaA zeolite membrane formed on the ceramic hollow fiber support. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of drying method on morphology and properties of asymmetric cellulose hollow fiber membrane

Using a dry/wet spinning process, asymmetric cellulose hollow fiber membranes (CHFM) were prepared from a dope composed of cellulose/N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide/water. The formation mechanism for the finger-like macrovoids at the inner portion of as-spun fibers was explained. Naturally drying and three solvent exchange drying methods were tried to investigate their influence on morphology and properties of CHFM. It was found that the ethanol-hexane exchange drying was an appropriate method to minimize morphology change of the as-spun CHFM, whereas the naturally drying caused the greatest shrinkage of the fibers that made the porous membrane become dense. The result, CHFM from ethanol-hexane exchange drying performed the highest gas permeation rate but gas permeation of the naturally dried membrane could not be detectable. The resultant CHFM from the ethanol-hexane exchange drying also showed acceptable, mechanical properties, thus it was proposed to be an appropriate method for gas separation purpose. The experimental results supported the proposed drying mechanism of CHFM. The free water would evaporate or be replaced by a solvent that subsequently would evaporate but the bonded water would remain in the membrane. What dominated the changes of membrane morphology during drying should be. the molecular affinities of cellulose-water, water-solvent and solvent-solvent. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.