Advanced chemical investigations of the volatile element flerovium (Fl, Z=114)
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Abstract
The chemical and physical properties of transactinide elements are strongly influenced by relativistic effects. The determination of chemical properties of element 114 (flerovium, Fl) is a topic of high interest. Early atomic calculations indicated that Fl could be chemically inert. Recent relativistic calculations confirm that it should be more inert than its lighter homolog Pb, but nevertheless predict it to have a distinct metallic character.
Experimental studies on Fl are challenging, due to its low production rates and relatively short half-lives. First chemistry experiments could not clarify the chemical properties due to limited statistics and inconsistent results. Therefore advanced studies on Fl were conducted at GSI, Darmstadt using TASCA. Prior to further investigations, several improvements to the experimental set-up were performed, mainly to optimize the overall efficiency and transportation time. This was assessed in multiple experiments with short-lived Hg and Pb isotopes.
After the preparatory experiments, two successful Fl studies were performed at TASCA. Several radioactive decays of Fl were observed. In this thesis the details, methods and results of the experiments are discussed.