High-accuracy mass determination of unstable cesium and barium isotopes

Direct mass measurements of short-lived Cs and Ba isotopes have been performed with the tandem Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP installed at the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE at CERN. Typically, a mass resolving power of 600 000 and an accuracy of $\delta \mbox{m} \approx 13$ keV have been obtained. The masses of $^{123,124,126}$Ba and $^{122m}$Cs were measured for the first time. A least-squares adjustment has been performed and the experimental masses are compared with theoretical ones, particularly in the frame of a macroscopic-microscopic model.

Erratum to: “Mass measurements on neutron-deficient Sr and neutron-rich Sn isotopes with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer” [Nucl. Phys. A 763 (2005) 45]

Mass Measurement on the rp-Process Waiting Point 72Kr

The mass of one of the three major waiting points in the astrophysical rp process $^{72}$Kr was measured for the first time with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP. The measurement yielded a relative mass uncertainty of $\deltam/m = 1.2\times 10–7 (\deltam$ = 8 keV). $^{73,74}$Kr, also needed for astrophysical calculations, were measured with more than 1 order of magnitude improved accuracy. We use the ISOLTRAP masses of $^{72–74}$Kr to reanalyze the role of $^{72}$Kr (T$_{1/2}$ = 17.2 s) in the rp process during x-ray bursts and conclude that $^{72}$Kr is a strong waiting point delaying the burst duration with at least 80\% of its $\beta$-decay half-life.

ISOLTRAP mass measurements of exotic nuclides at

The ISOLTRAP experiment at the ISOLDE facility at CERN is a Penning trap mass spectrometer for on-line mass measurements on short-lived radionuclides. It allows the determination of atomic masses of exotic nuclides with a relative uncertainty of only 10−8. The results provide important information for, e.g., weak interaction studies and nuclear models. Recent ISOLTRAP investigations and applications of high-precision mass measurements are discussed.

Mass measurement of cooled neutron-deficient bismuth projectile fragments with time-resolved Schottky mass spectrometry at the FRS-ESR facility

Masses of 582 neutron-deficient nuclides ($30\leq{Z}\leq{85}$) were measured with time-resolved Schottky mass spectrometry at the FRS-ESR facility at GSI, 117 were used for calibration. The masses of 71 nuclides were obtained for the first time. A typical mass accuracy of 30 $\mu$u was achieved. These data have entered the latest atomic mass evaluation. The mass determination of about 140 additional nuclides was possible via known energies ($Q$-values) of $\alpha-$, $\beta-$, or proton decays. The obtained results are compared with the results of other measurements.

Isoltrap pins down masses of exotic nuclides

The mass of radionuclides contribute to a variety of fundamental studies including tests of the weak interaction and the Standard Model. The limits of mass measurements of exotic nuclides have been extended considerably by the Penning-trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. Recent ISOLTRAP measurements are summarized and current technical improvements are outlined.

Time-separated oscillatory fields for high-precision mass measurements on short-lived Al and Ca nuclides

High-precision Penning trap mass measurements on the stable nuclide 27Al as well as on the short-lived radionuclides 26Al and 38,39Ca have been performed by use of radiofrequency excitation with time-separated oscillatory fields, i.e. Ramsey's method, as recently introduced for the excitation of the ion motion in a Penning trap, was applied. A comparison with the conventional method of a single continuous excitation demonstrates its advantage of up to ten times shorter measurements. The new mass values of 26,27Al clarify conflicting data in this specific mass region. In addition, the resulting mass values of the superallowed beta-emitter 38Ca as well as of the groundstate of the beta-emitte…

Breakdown of the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation atA=33,T=3/2

Mass measurements on ${}^{33,34,42,43}\mathrm{Ar}$ were performed using the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP and a newly constructed linear Paul trap. This arrangement allowed us, for the first time, to extend Penning trap mass measurements to nuclides with half-lives below one second ( ${}^{33}\mathrm{Ar}$: ${T}_{1/2}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}174\mathrm{ms}$). A mass accuracy of about ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ $(\ensuremath{\delta}m\ensuremath{\approx}4\mathrm{keV})$ was achieved for all investigated nuclides. The isobaric multiplet mass equation was checked for the $A\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}33$, $T\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom…

Penning-trap mass measurements of neutron-deficient Rb and Sr isotopes

Abstract The Penning-trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP installed at the on-line mass separator ISOLDE 2 at CERN has been used for mass determination of 75–87 Rb and 78–83,87 Sr. Ions are captured in a Penning trap and their cyclotron frequency ω c = ( q m )B in the trapping field B is measured. Ratios of these frequencies lead to the determination of the atomic mass of these isotopes. A resolving power of typically m Δm = 10 6 and an accuracy of δm ≈10 keV is obtained. The mass of 78 Sr is measured for the first time and, in most cases, the mass values of the other isotopes are significantly improved. The experimental masses are compared with theoretical predictions.

Towards Shorter-Lived Nuclides in ISOLTRAP Mass Measurements

Recently, the applicability of Penning trap mass spectrometry has been extended to nuclides with a half-life of less than one second. The mass of 33Ar(T 1/2 = 174 ms) was measured using the ISOLTRAP spectrometer with an accuracy of 4.2 keV. This measurement provided a stringent test of the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation (IMME) at mass number A = 33 and isospin T = 3/2. The fast measurement cycle that shows the way to other measurements of very-short-lived nuclides is presented. Furthermore, the results of the IMME test are displayed.

Towards high-precision mass measurements on 74Rb for a test of the CVC hypothesis and the unitarity of the CKM matrix

At the highest possible precisions, atomic-mass measurements can be used to perform fundamental studies. Examples for such studies are a check of the conserved-vector-current (CVC) hypothesis and the unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, both postulates of the Standard Model. The comparative half-lives Ft of superallowed β decays constitute the nuclear-physics access to these tests. The Q value of the β decay of 74 Rb, one of the three experimentally accessible parameters that enter into the Ft values, has been measured with the ISOLTRAP experiment at ISOLDE/CERN. The ultimate mass precision requirement and the way to achieve it are outlined.

Direct mass measurements of unstable rare earth isotopes with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer

Abstract Direct mass measurements of neutron deficient rare earth isotopes in the vicinity of 146 Gd were performed for the first time with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN. Since ISOL-facilities deliver these isotopes with a large amount of isobaric contamination, these measurements became possible only after the installation of a new cooler trap which acts as an isobar separator. To date more than 40 isotopes of the elements Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Dy, and Ho have been measured with a typical accuracy of δm ≈ 14 keV. Some of these isotopes provide an important anchor for many other isotopes linked by known Q-values.

Accurate mass measurements on neutron-deficient krypton isotopes

soumis à Nuclear Physics A; The masses of $^{72-78,80,82,86}$Kr were measured directly with the ISOLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer at ISOLDE/CERN. For all these nuclides, the measurements yielded mass uncertainties below 10 keV. The ISOLTRAP mass values for $^{72-75}$Kr outweighed previous results obtained by means of other techniques, and thus completely determine the new values in the Atomic-Mass Evaluation. Besides the interest of these masses for nuclear astrophysics, nuclear structure studies, and Standard Model tests, these results constitute a valuable and accurate input to improve mass models. In this paper, we present the mass measurements and discuss the mass evaluation for t…

High-accuracy mass measurements of neutron-rich Kr isotopes

The atomic masses of the neutron-rich krypton isotopes {sup 84,86-95}Kr have been determined with the tandem Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP with uncertainties ranging from 20 to 220 ppb. The masses of the short-lived isotopes {sup 94}Kr and {sup 95}Kr were measured for the first time. The masses of the radioactive nuclides {sup 89}Kr and {sup 91}Kr disagree by 4 and 6 standard deviations, respectively, from the present Atomic-Mass Evaluation database. The resulting modification of the mass surface with respect to the two-neutron separation energies as well as implications for mass models and stellar nucleosynthesis are discussed.

Mass measurements on unstable Sn and Sr isotopes with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer

Direct mass measurements have been performed on the isotopes 76,77,80,81Sr and 129,130,131,132Sn by means of the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN. In the case of 76Sr the mass was measured for the first time and an accuracy of about 30 keV was reached (Fig. 1). The masses of the tin isotopes are known for a long time from Q β measurements.

Mass Measurement on therp-Process Waiting PointKr72

With the aim of improving nucleosynthesis calculations, we performed for the first time, a direct high-precision mass measurement on the waiting point in the astrophysical rp-process 72Kr. We used the ISOLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer located at ISOLDE/CERN. The measurement yielded a relative mass uncertainty of δm/m = 1.2×10-7. In addition, the masses of 73Kr and 74Kr were measured directly with relative mass uncertainties of 1.0×10-7 and 3×10-8, respectively. We analyzed the role of 72Kr in the rp-process during X-ray bursts using the ISOLTRAP and previous mass values of 72-74Kr.

Towards higher accuracy with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer

To now the masses of more than hundred unstable isotopes have been determined with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer installed at ISOLDE/CERN. Typically a resolving power of mΔm ≈ 1 × 106 was used and the mass determinations were assigned an accuracy of δmm ≈ 1 × 10−7. We show that with improvements to ISOLTRAP and refinements of the experimental technique an accuracy of δmm ≈ 3 × 10−8 can be obtained.