How do cold fusion reactions produce elements from seaborgium to copernicium?

In the context of synthesizing transuranium elements, it is important to clarify that the term "cold fusion" used in nuclear physics for element synthesis is distinct from the controversial, unverified "cold fusion" experiments (such as those involving palladium rods or cavitation) that sought to produce energy at room temperature.123

In the synthesis of heavy elements, "cold" or "soft" fusion refers to a specific nuclear reaction technique used to produce elements from seaborgium to copernicium. The process involves the following principles:1

• Target and Projectile: Medium-weight projectiles are fused with target nuclei that have proton numbers near 82 and neutron numbers near 126, typically utilizing the "doubly magic" lead-208 nucleus.1
• Excitation Energy: Because these reactions result in a compound system with relatively low excitation energy, the resulting nuclei are "cold" compared to those produced in "hot" fusion reactions.1
• Stability: Due to this lower excitation energy, the compound nuclei are more likely to remain intact by emitting only one or two neutrons, rather than undergoing prompt fission, which is a significant competing reaction in higher-energy processes.1

This method was pioneered by Yuri Oganessian and was instrumental in the discovery of elements up to atomic number 112, such as the production of copernicium by fusing zinc-70 with lead-208.145