The Inchworm as a precision translator in a high magnetic field and UHV environment

Abstract A new set-up has been designed and tested for on-line, high-precision mass measurements of short-lived radioactive isotopes via a determination of the ion cyclotron resonance. Ions delivered by the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE at CERN/Geneva are stored in a Penning trap installed in a superconducting solenoid. Due to severe space limitations in the bore of the solenoid, it is impossible to use conventional mechanical feedthroughs for the necessary manipulations inside the uhv chamber. Instead, a number of Inchworms, a high-precision positioning device based on the piezo-electric effect are employed. This publication reports on the first application of this device in a uhv envir…