Superheavy Elements in the Magic Islands

Recent microscopic calculation based on the density functional theory predicts long-lived superheavy elements in a variety of shapes, including spherical, axial and triaxial configurations. Only when N=184 is approached one expects superheavy nuclei that are spherical in their ground states. Magic islands of extra-stability have been predicted to be around Z=114, 124 or, 126 with N=184, and Z=120, with N=172. However, the question of whether the fission-survived superheavy nuclei with high Z and N would live long enough for detection or, undergo alpha-decay in a very short time remains open. In this talk I shall present results of our calculations of alpha-decay half lives of heavy and superheavy nuclei. Calculations, carried out in a WKB framework using density-dependent M3Y interaction, have been found to reproduce the experimental data quite well. Fission survived Sg nuclei with Z=106, N=162 is predicted to have the highest alpha-decay half life (~3.2 hrs) in the Z=106-108, N=160-164 region called, small island/peninsula. Neutron-rich (N >170) superheavy nuclei with Z >118 are found to have half-lives of the order of microseconds or, less.