Current Schedule

Speaker = Prof. Dr. Christoph E. Düllmann of Superheavy Element Chemistry Group at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz

Host = Xing Wu wux@frib.msu.edu

When = 2025-11-19 Wednesday

Where = FRIB 1300

Please feel free to sign up below, but note that some slots may need to be re-assigned to accommodate those with a specific need to meet the speaker. If this happens, the Admin or Speaker Host will reach out to you via email.

Tuesday November 18

Wednesday November 19

Thursday November 20

Friday November 21

Title = From uranium and the actinides to the superheavies and the stars

Abstract

Actinides up to fermium are available in macroscopic quantities from reactor breeding, allowing off-line studies. Their special nuclear and atomic properties render them interesting for a variety of applications in the fundamental sciences. Yet heavier elements in the superheavy region up to the current end of the periodic table are only accessible in atom-at-a-time quantities and are hence more scarcely studied, but understanding their nuclear and physical properties is of fundamental interest: they will define the limits of astrophysical nucleogenesis and of the existence of nuclear matter, translating to where the periodic table ends. They will also inform on whether superheavy elements can eventually be found in Nature. In my presentation I will first discuss our actinide program in Mainz, which supports research in a variety of areas including: i) the search for physics beyond the standard model using tailor-made actinide atoms and molecules, ii) laser spectroscopy programs to determine atomic and nuclear quantities at the end of the actinide series, iii) muonic atom spectroscopy, or iv) nuclear reaction studies towards and beyond the heaviest known elements. In the second part of my talk, I will focus on our program at GSI Darmstadt, where we explore the island of enhanced stability of superheavy nuclei and on our chemistry program aiming to determine the chemical character of newly discovered elements to learn about the structure of the periodic table near and at its current end.

Relevant background with commentary from Speaker

• Stepping into the Sea of Instability: The New Sub-μ⁢s Superheavy Nucleus 252Rf - This paper is interesting as well in my opinion, as it helps charting the Island of Stability.
• Manifestation of relativistic effects in the chemical properties of nihonium and moscovium revealed by gas chromatography studies…and finally this one here gives the results on the heaviest element that was ever studied chemically.