238Pu cluster decay in the macroscopic-microscopic approach

The experimental half-life of Si-32 cluster decay from Pu-238 was reproduced by using the microscopic-macroscopic approach. Several microscopic models for the inertia were tested. The best results were obtained with an effective mass given by the Gaussian overlap approximation formalism. The most probable cluster decay modes of the same parent were also predicted. A superasymmetric fission trajectory for the magic radioactivity was found by using the minimal action principle. A magic valley in the deformation energy was confirmed and its origin explained. It is due to strong shell effects of the daughter Hg-206. The nuclear shape parametrization takes into account five degrees of freedom associated to the elongation, necking, mass asymmetry and deformations of nascent fragments. The single particle energies and the nucleon wave functions are obtained within the superasymmetric Woods-Saxon two-center shell model.