ISOLDE Physics Group Meeting (PGM) and Seminar

Thursday 20 Nov 2025, 14:00 → 15:15 Europe/Zurich

508/1-001 (CERN)

14:00 → 14:10 General announcements

Speakers: Hanne Heylen (CERN), Prof. Luis M Fraile (CERN)

• Summer student programme:
  • Registration for students is open https://careers.cern/programmes/summer-studentship/
  • Call for projects will be done in January
• Status long term storage?
  • Retrieval via EAM?
• Installation of flammable gas lines in HIE-ISOLDE:
  • Clear-up of HIE-ISOLDE area by Tuesday 25/11
• FYI:

 

14:10 → 14:15 Safety announcements

Speakers: Hanne Heylen (CERN), Prof. Luis M Fraile (CERN)

14:15 → 14:20 Visits

Rota to be found on: https://cernbox.cern.ch/s/qbqEUB41tAvAzWa

Speakers: Hanne Heylen (CERN), Victoria Vedia (CERN)

CVC -> Jessica and Magda

14:20 → 14:25 Physics of last week

Speaker: Hanne Heylen (CERN)

14:25 → 14:30 AOB

Speakers: Amy Sparks, Carlotta Porzio (CERN), Christoph Schweiger (Max Planck Society (DE)), Hanne Heylen (CERN), Jessica Warbinek (CERN), Juliana Schell (Institut Fur Materialwissenschaft Universität Duisburg-Essen (DE)), Liss Vazquez Rodriguez (Max Planck Society (DE)), Prof. Luis M Fraile (CERN), Magdalena Kowalska (CERN), Patrick MacGregor (CERN), Peter Plattner, Tim Enrico Lellinger (CERN, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (DE)), Victoria Vedia (CERN)

14:30 → 15:15 ISOLDE seminar

Title "Study of the Di-nuclear System $^{66}$Ni + $^{238}$U: Probing the Existence of an „Island of Stability“ at Z=120, N=184"
Speaker: Sophia Heinz (GSI, DE)
Abstract: New spherical shell closures are predicted in the region of superheavy elements at neutron number N=184 and proton number Z=114, 120 or 126. A doubly magic structure in that region would result in an increased stability against fission for the respective isotopes, forming a so-called “island of stability”. The synthesis of superheavy nuclei in that region is hindered by very small production cross-sections, which are expected on a scale below 0.1 pb, and also by the small intensities of radioactive isotope beams which are neccessary to reach neutron number N=184.

To obtain information about a possible island of stability at Z=120, N=184, we are using a so far unique experimental approach. It is not based on the direct production and study of element 120 isotopes. Instead, we are investigating quasi-fission and fusion-fission reactions in collisions of $^{66}$Ni + $^{238}$U → $^{304}$120*, which occur with cross-sections of (10 – 100) mb. From the mass and energy distributions of these products we also expect information about the stability of the nuclear compound system.

Speakers: Carlotta Porzio (CERN), Hanne Heylen (CERN), Jessica Warbinek (CERN)