Nuclear and chemical properties of the transactinide elements

Transactinide elements, whose atomic number larger than 104 and classified as 6d-transition elements in the periodic table, have seldom been studied of the chemical nature in spite of much interest in the possible relativistic effects of these superheavy nuclides. This report briefly reviews recent topics in the advancement for the superheavy (Z > 104) nuclide synthesis by means of cold fusion with varying combinations of incident and target atoms using ion accelerators, for example, at GSI, Darmstadt, and at JINR, Dubna. It also reviews recent progress in their nuclear and chemical properties studied by a world-wide cooperative research group working at GSI, Mainz University, Bern University, PSI, Uppsala University, Dubna and LBL groups into which JAERI group has joined since 1998. Moreover, expectation is stated for the successful synthesis of superheavy elements on employment of radioactive beams consisting of neutron-excess nuclides. (Ohno, S.)