From Nuclear Astrophysics to Superheavy Elements: Predictions for Nuclei Beyond Our Shores

Abstract

Properties of 8,979 nuclei ranging from oxygen-16 to Z = 136, A = 339 and extending from the proton drip line to the neutron drip line have been calculated by use of the 1992 version of the finite-range droplet model. The calculated quantities include the ground-state mass, deformation, microscopic correction, odd-proton and odd-neutron spins and parities, proton and neutron pairing gaps, binding energy, one- and two-neutron separation energies, quantities related to beta-delayed one- and two-neutron emission probabilities, beta-decay energy release and half-life with respect to Gamow-Teller decay, one- and two-proton separation energies, and alpha-decay energy release and half-life. For 1,654 nuclei heavier than oxygen-16 whose masses were known experimentally in 1989 and which were included in the adjustment of model constants, the theoretical error is 0.669 MeV. For 371 additional nuclei heavier than oxygen-16 whose masses have been measured between 1989 and 1996 and which were not used in the adjustment of the model constants, the theoretical error is 0.570 MeV. We also discuss the extrapolateability of two other recent global models of the macroscopic-microscopic type, and conclude with a brief discussion of the recently discovered rock of metastable superheavy nuclei near Z = 110, A = 272 that had been correctly predicted by macroscopic-microscopic models.