MACROSCOPIC CALCULUS FOR THE FISSION BARRIER HEIGHT OF SUPERHEAVY ELEMENTS

The stability of superheavy elements is discussed in the context of ma croscopic features of continuous nuclear matter. An elastodynamic meth od is proposed to compute a regular (macroscopic) part of the potentia l-energy profile in the direction of quadrupole coordinate of symmetri c fission. The distinguishing feature of this method is that the kinem atics of nuclear deformation resulting in fission is described in term s of distortions of an elastic sphere and the dynamics is thought of a s an adiabatic process dominated by disruptive elastic distortions cau sed by the volume Coulomb repulsion and cohesive surface elastic stres ses of nuclear origin. The input parameters of the method are paramete rs of the nuclear binding energy, established in the macroscopic-micro scopic theory of nuclear masses. From the elastic-globe model develope d it follows that the magnitude of the macroscopic fission-barrier hei ght for heaviest and superheavy elements with 104 less than or equal t o Z less than or equal to 116 is expected to fall into the interval 2. 5 less than or equal to Br less than or equal to 0.6, respectively.