Eur. Phys. J. A (2015) 51: 36
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2015-15036-9

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Pairing gaps and Fermi energies at scission for ²⁹⁶Lv alpha-decay

Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, P.O. Box MG-6, Bucharest, Romania

^* e-mail: mirea@ifin.nipne.ro

Received: 29 January 2015
Revised: 3 March 2015
Accepted: 4 March 2015
Published online: 24 March 2015

Abstract

The pairing corrections, the single particle occupation numbers, are investigated within density-dependent delta interaction formalism for pairing residual interactions. The potential barrier is computed in the framework of the macroscopic-microscopic model. The microscopic part is based on the Woods-Saxon two-center shell model. The α-decay of a superheavy element is treated by paying special attention to the region of the scission configurations. The sequence of nuclear shapes follows the superasymmetric fission path for alpha-decay. It was found that the pairing gaps of the states that reach asymptotically the potential well of the alpha particle have large values at scission but become zero after scission. The 1s_1/2 single particle levels of the nascent α particle are fully occupied while the superior levels are empty in the scission region and remain in the same states during the penetration of the Coulomb barrier. The projection of the numbers of particle on the two fragments is obtained naturally. At scission, the nascent α particle forms a very bound cluster.