Mainz 2014 – scientific programme

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SYDI: Dissertationspreis der Fachverbände Gravitation und Relativitätstheorie, Physik der Hadronen und Kerne und Teilchenphysik

SYDI 1: Dissertationspreis-Symposium

SYDI 1.4: Semi-Invited Talk

Monday, March 24, 2014, 15:30–16:00, RW 1

First on-line applications of an MR-ToF MS at ISOLTRAP and the mass measurement of ⁸²Zn — •Robert Wolf — Universität Greifswald — Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg

Precision mass measurements of radioactive nuclides give direct insight to one of the most fundamental properties of atomic nuclei, their binding energy. Investigating this property as a function of proton and neutron numbers is crucial for advancing nuclear theory and the understanding of nucleosynthesis in supernovae and neutron stars.

High-accuracy mass measurements of exotic atoms are extremely challenging due to the short half-lives and low production rates of the nuclides of interest. At the same time, longer-lived or stable contaminations are produced in orders of magnitude higher numbers, often preventing state-of-the-art on-line Penning-trap mass spectrometry. To overcome this limitation, a multi-reflection time-of-flight mass separator (MR-ToF MS) has been developed and installed at the ISOLTRAP facility at CERN. With its high resolving power and fast measurement cycle it excels the available methods of contamination suppression and, thus, opens new fields for on-line mass spectrometry as well as other radioactive ion-beam experiments. The device allowed the first mass measurement of ⁸²Zn, relevant for the outer crust of neutron stars. In addition, it can be used - complementary to Penning traps - as a mass spectrometer for very short-lived and low-yield species, as demonstrated by the first mass measurement of ^53,54Ca which are important nuclides for tests of valence-shell calculations based on 3N forces. The versatile MR-ToF MS and its various applications will be presented.