Production and $\beta$ half-lives of heavy neutron-rich nuclei approaching the r-process path at N=126

Fragmentation reactions of relativistic 238U and 208 Pb projectiles have been used to investigatethe production of heavy neutron-rich nuclei approaching the r-process waiting point at A≈195.The relativistic energies, together with the use of a high resolving-power magnetic spectrometerwere key conditions for the unambiguous identification of nuclei in the region of interest. Usingthis technique we were able to identify 73 new heavy neutron-rich nuclei expanding considerablythe north-west frontier of the chart of nuclide. Moreover, we were able to determine the halflives of 13 of those nuclide. The measured values are signific antly shorter than the predictionsused for r-process model calculations. The confirmation of these results for r-process nuclei atA≈195 would indicate that the r-process at this point is faster than expected, leading to a largerproduction of the heaviest nuclei