Capture cross sections for the synthesis of new heavy nuclei using radioactive beams

We have measured the capture-fission excitation functions for the reaction of stable K39 and radioactive K46 with Ta181 using the ReA3 facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. In addition the capture-fission excitation function for the K39+Ta181 reaction was measured at Australian National University. The capture cross sections for the K46+Ta181 reaction are larger than those for the K39 induced reactions in the near barrier region although the reduced excitation functions for the two reactions do not indicate any fundamental differences between the reactions. The results of the measurements are compared to modern phenomenological models and microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations. The implications of these measurements for the synthesis of heavy nuclei at radioactive beam facilities are discussed.