Results of the searches for superheavy nuclei in the Cheleken Penninsula geothermal waters

Флеров, Г.Н.; Korotkin, Yu.S.; Ter‐Akopian, G. M.; Zvára, I.; Oganessian, Yu. Ts.; Popeko, A. G.; Chuburkov, Yu.T.; Chelnokov, L.P.; Maslov, O. D.; Смирнов, В. И.; Gerstenberger, R.

doi:10.1007/bf01434628

Cited by 25 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…For an assumed value of ~=8, the The results reported by Flerov et al [1] and our results reported here do not readily lend themselves to a direct comparison. Whereas we examined the predominantly sulfide precipitate collected at the Atlantis-II site, they investigated the waters from the Cheleken hot springs by first passing that concentrated salt solution through an ion exchanger followed by an elution procedure designed to collect the largest part of the heavier elements in the brine.…”

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confidence: 58%

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Search for spontaneous fission emitters in Atlantis II (Part I)

et al. 1981

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No evidence for spontaneous fission decay (and the implied presence of superheavy nuclides) has been found in a several kilogram precipitate gathered at the Atlantis-II site in the Red Sea. The sample was investigated with a neutron multiplicity counter non-destructively so that no chemical losses should have been sustained. Upper limits have been determined for possible superheavy element concentrations in the sample.In a recent study of hot brines from the Cheleken Penninsula, Flerov and co-workers [1, 2] report observations of spontaneous fission activities. These results have led them to conclude that the most likely interpretation of their observation is the existence of a new naturally occurring isotope of a superheavy element. These reports have stimulated investigations into other hot brines which might provide evidence on this extraordinarily interesting point. We have examined material derived from hot springs at the bottom of the Red Sea (Atlantis-II) [3][4][5] which may be anticipated to have a similar geologic origin as the samples derived from the Cheleken Penninsula. We have examined in a neutron-multiplicity counter several kilograms of dry precipitate gathered from the Atlantis II site, which are relatively rich in some of the more volatile heavy elements. The material was examined essentially as collected without recourse to either physical or chemical separations, eliminating the possibility of loss of any original constituent in the sample. In view of the fact that the range of lifetimes theoretically estimated [6,7] for superheavy nuclides encompasses half-lives as great as the age of the planet, geologic samples may be considered as possible sources for such nuclides. Spontaneous fission decay is expected to result from superheavy * Research sponsored in part by the Division of Nuclear Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, under contract (W-7405-eng-26) with Union Carbide Corporation nuclides, either directly or secondary from daughters formed by alpha or beta decay. Since the only nuclide of any consequence ordinarily found in nature that exhibits spontaneous fission decay is 238U(T1/2(S.F.)=8.2x101Syr, ~=2.0), the observation of such activity (in natural samples and in the absence of uranium) raises the possibility of superheavy element decay. Such a conclusion of course can only be made with the further provision that the measurement not be contaminated with transuranic element sources. Neutron emission is ordinarily associated with spontaneous fission decay. Theoretical predictions [8] for the range of the parameter ~, the average number of neutrons emitted per fission, extend to perhaps 10 or more for superheavy nuclides. The largest value of ~ for known nuclides at most only slightly exceeds 4; so that any observation of spontaneous fission characterized by a value of ~ appreciably in excess of 4 would support the inference of superheavy element decay. Large multikilogram samples may conveniently be examined nondestructively for evidence of spontaneous f...

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confidence: 58%

“…In a recent study of hot brines from the Cheleken Penninsula, Flerov and co-workers [1,2] report observations of spontaneous fission activities. These results have led them to conclude that the most likely interpretation of their observation is the existence of a new naturally occurring isotope of a superheavy element.…”

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confidence: 96%

Search for spontaneous fission emitters in Atlantis II (Part I)

et al. 1981

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“…In the experiment described here we have not succeeded in reaching a sensitivity comparable to that of previous measurements with other thermal waters [1]. This fact was due primarily to the insufficient amount of Salton Sea and Atlantis II materials.…”

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confidence: 45%

“…A spontaneous fission activity that could not be explained by the known sources of the background, including uranium decay, was detected in some products of the chemical reprocessing of hot brines from Cheleken Peninsula (the South-East coast of the Caspean Sea [1]). There has been advanced the assumption that this activity is due to the decay of a naturally occurring nuclide belonging to the SHE region.…”

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confidence: 98%

Search for Spontaneous fission activity in Salton Sea and Atlantis II hot brines

et al. 1984

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“…Flerov and coworkers investigated material from the Cheleken hot brines and have reported on the observation of a spontaneous fission activity in them using a 3He neutron-multiplicity counter arrangement [3]. We ([,1] and this paper) have made an attempt to find such an effect in hot brine deposits from the Atlantis II deep in the Red Sea [-4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Search for spontaneous fission emitters in Atlantis II (Part II)

et al. 1981

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In this paper we describe an attempt to isolate superheavy elements from Atlantis II hot brine deposits. Volatile, sulfidic elements (Cd, Pb) were isolated and investigated for spontaneous fission events with a mica-plastic solid state track detector sandwich. During nearly two years exposure time no spontaneous fission activity was observed. The upper limit for the concentration of superheavy elements (following this chemistry) in the Atlantis II-material is found to be 1.4-10-14 g/g. This limit is more than one order of magnitude lower than the concentration of a spontaneous fission activity in material from the Cheleken hot brine, as observed by Flerov and coworkers.

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Results of the searches for superheavy nuclei in the Cheleken Penninsula geothermal waters

Cited by 25 publications

References 4 publications

Search for spontaneous fission emitters in Atlantis II (Part I)

Search for spontaneous fission emitters in Atlantis II (Part I)

Search for Spontaneous fission activity in Salton Sea and Atlantis II hot brines

Search for spontaneous fission emitters in Atlantis II (Part II)

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