Darmstadt 2016 – scientific programme
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HK: Fachverband Physik der Hadronen und Kerne
HK 6: Structure and Dynamics of Nuclei II
HK 6.2: Group Report
Monday, March 14, 2016, 14:30–15:00, S1/01 A04
Direct detection of the thorium-229 isomer: Milestone towards a nuclear clock — •L. von der Wense1, B. Seiferle1, M. Laatiaoui2,3, J.B. Neumayr1, H.J. Maier1, H.F. Wirth1, C. Mokry3,4, J. Runke2,4, K. Eberhardt3,4, C.E. Düllmann2,3,4, N. Trautmann4, and P.G. Thirolf1 — 1Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 85748 Garching — 2GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291 Darmstadt — 3Helmholtz Institute Mainz, 55099 Mainz — 4Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz
In the whole landscape of atomic nuclei, 229Th possesses the only known transition which by today could allow for the development of a nuclear frequency standard. The corresponding isomeric state has an energy of just 7.8 eV, which is even accessible by laser and frequency-comb technology. The isomer to ground-state transition, however, could not be directly detected within the past 40 years, despite significant efforts. In the presentation the first time unambiguous direct detection of the isomeric transition is described. This detection will allow for the determination of the decay parameters and in this way pave the way for the development of a nuclear clock.[1]
This work was supported by DFG (Th956/3-1) and by EU Horizon 2020 grant agreement no 664732 "nuClock".
[1] L. v.d.Wense, B. Seiferle, M. Laatiaoui and P.G. Thirolf, Eur. Phys. J. A 51, 29 (2015).