Potential Barriers in the Quasi-Molecular Deformation Path for Actinides

The deformation energy of actinides in the fusionlike deformation path has been determined from a generalized liquid drop model taking into account both the proximity energy, the asymmetry and an accurate nuclear radius and from the shell and pairing energies. Double and triple-humped potential barriers appear. The second maximum corresponds to the transition from compact and creviced one-body shapes to two touching ellipsoids. Third minimum and peak appear in certain asymmetric exit channels where one fragment is almost a double magic nucleus with a quasi-spherical shape while the other one evolves from oblate to prolate shapes. The heights of the double and triple-humped fission barriers agree with the experimental results. The predicted half-lives follow the experimental data trend.