Model of binding alpha-particles and applications to superheavy elements

The model of nuclear matter built from alpha-particles is proposed. In this model nuclei possess the molecular-like structure. Analyzing the numbers of bonds one gets the formula for the binding energy of a nucleus. The structure is determined by the minimum of the total potential energy, where interaction between alpha-particles is pairwise and the pair-potential is of Lennard-Jones type. The calculated binding energies show a good agreement with experiment. Calculations predict the stability island for superheavy nuclei around Z = 120