Production and Decay of Element 114: High Cross Sections and the New Nucleus {sup 277}Hs

The fusion-evaporation reaction {sup 244}Pu({sup 48}Ca,3-4n){sup 288,289}114 was studied at the new gas-filled recoil separator TASCA. Thirteen correlated decay chains were observed and assigned to the production and decay of {sup 288,289}114. At a compound nucleus excitation energy of E*=39.8-43.9 MeV, the 4n evaporation channel cross section was 9.8{sub -3.1}{sup +3.9} pb. At E*=36.1-39.5 MeV, that of the 3n evaporation channel was 8.0{sub -4.5}{sup +7.4} pb. In one of the 3n evaporation channel decay chains, a previously unobserved {alpha} branch in {sup 281}Ds was observed (probability to be of random origin from background: 0.1%). This {alpha} decay populated the new nucleus {sup 277}Hs, which decayed by spontaneous fission after a lifetime of 4.5 ms.