Zakopane 2026 Conference on Nuclear Physics

This study presents a major advancement in understanding the nuclear structure of superheavy nuclei through spectroscopy of the high-K 8- isomer in 254No. Leveraging the enhanced sensitivity of the GABRIELA detector array at JINR (Dubna), γ-ray emissions and internal conversion electrons (ICE) were observed simultaneously for the first time. The results reveal a new 4+ state at 1203 keV,...

Nuclear deformation has been a topic of interest for many decades. While most nuclei can be described using only quadrupole deformation, recent experimental results [1, 2], in agreement with theoretical predictions [3, 4], indicate that a more exotic type of deformation, namely octupole deformation, is needed to best describe nuclei in certain regions of the nuclear chart. In particular, the...

Studies of superheavy nuclei provide important insights into nuclear structure at the limit of stability and allow for stringent tests of state-of-the-art nuclear models [1]. These nuclei may exhibit $K$-isomers, providing a unique probe of single-particle structure [2].

One prominent example is the $K^{\pi}=8^{-}$ isomer in $^{254}$No. Despite numerous $\gamma$-spectroscopic studies, the...

Excited states with high $K$ quantum numbers provide valuable information on the underlying nuclear structure. Due to the conservation of the $K$ quantum number in deformed nuclei, transitions requiring large changes in $K$ are strongly hindered, and thus those excited states exist as isomers [1,2]. Of special interest are superheavy nuclei, where the high-$K$ states are significantly stable...

In the transfermium region (Z $\geq 100$), spontaneous fission (SF) is a prominent decay mode, often competing with alpha and beta decay. However, experimental measurements remain challenging for most super-heavy nuclei (SHN) due to their low production cross-section. Stability against SF is governed by the fission barrier, which is strongly influenced by shell effects [2]. Hence, studies of...

When studying the decay properties of heavy elements isolated using recoil separators the nuclei of interest are typically implanted into a highly ''pixelated'' Double-sided Silicon Strip Detector (DSSD). Upstream of the implantation DSSD, a tunnel-like arrangement of silicon detectors is used to measure internal conversion electrons (ICE) emitted from the decay of excited nuclear states. They...

Most of the heaviest nuclei synthesized in recent decades were obtained through the use of fusion-evaporation reactions. This mechanism tends to produce mainly neutron-deficient nuclei due to neutron evaporation and the limited available choices of beam-target combinations. Moreover, production cross-sections for the heaviest elements are particularly small, e.g. 0.5 pb at most for the...