CLUSTER DECAY AS AN INTERMEDIATE FORM BETWEEN α-DECAY AND SPONTANEOUS FISSION

Abstract

Cluster decay is one of the rarest forms of radioactive transformation observed in heavy and superheavy nuclei. The process occupies an intermediate position between α-decay and spontaneous fission, since the emitted fragment is heavier than an α-particle but significantly lighter than ordinary fission products. The present study discusses the theoretical foundations of cluster radioactivity, modern microscopic approaches, shell effects, and quantum tunneling mechanisms responsible for the decay process. Recent developments in nuclear physics demonstrate that cluster decay plays an important role in the investigation of nuclear stability and the structure of superheavy nuclei.