Monte Carlo Simulation of Mass Measurements of Heavy Element Complexes

Relativistic effects are predicted to alter heavy and super heavy elements’ (SHEs) chemistry, potentially leading to the breakdown of periodic table trends at heavier masses. Understanding complex formation in SHEs could reveal impacts of relativistic effects. To date, this has only been studied in broad terms where the chemical behavior of a SHE is compared to its lighter homologues, and theory is used to estimate complexes formed. For the first time, we can perform chemistry on SHEs and measure the masses of resulting complexes using LBNL's FIONA spectrometer.

Recent FIONA experiments measured the masses of nobelium complexes formed from nobelium and several reactive gases. Complexes impact FIONA’s detector at distinct positions, according to their mass-to-charge ratio. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to precisely determine where masses impact FIONA’s detector, calculate the mass dispersion, and assign masses to data. The Monte Carlo simulations were optimized using astatine calibrations, then applied to nobelium experiments.