Accelerators as a Driver of the Super-Heavy Element (Z=113) Discovery

Abstract

Three Super-Heavy nuclei (Z=113), which were synthesized from 2004 to 2012 by the RIKEN group led by Dr. K. Morita, were internationally recognized as a new element on the periodic table in December 2015, and the right to name the element was given to the group. This result could be done not only by the efficient experimental device, GARIS, but also by the very powerful heavy-ion accelerator, RILAC, which provided an intense 5.5 MeV/u ⁷⁰Zn beam to GARIS. The improved RILAC could drive this Super-Heavy element (Z=113) discovery as long as a net duration of 575 days, and, finally, deliver a total dose of 1.4×10²⁰ particles of ⁷⁰Zn on the ²⁰⁹Bi target, until the three events were detected.