0000000000291473
AUTHOR
M. Eibach
Qvalue and half-life of double-electron capture in184Os
The observation of neutrinoless double-beta transitionswould reveal physics beyond the Standard Model, asit would establish neutrinos to be Majorana particles,which implies a violation of the lepton number conserva-tion. Experiments searching for these transitions have fo-cused on the detection of neutrinoless double-beta decay(0 ) rather than neutrinoless double-electron capture(0). One reason among others is in general the sig-ni cantly shorter half-life of the 0 process. However,in the case of neutrinoless double-electron capture, thetransition is expected to be resonantly enhanced if theinitial and the nal state of the transition are degeneratein energy [1{3].In this work, we inves…
Recent developments for high-precision mass measurements of the heaviest elements at SHIPTRAP
Abstract Atomic nuclei far from stability continue to challenge our understanding. For example, theoretical models have predicted an “island of stability” in the region of the superheavy elements due to the closure of spherical proton and neutron shells. Depending on the model, these are expected at Z = 114, 120 or even 126 and N = 172 or 184. Valuable information on the road to the island of stability is derived from high-precision mass measurements, which give direct access to binding energies of short-lived trans-uranium nuclei. Recently, direct mass measurements at SHIPTRAP have been extended to nobelium and lawrencium isotopes around the deformed shell gap N = 152. In order to further …
Quantum-state-selective decay spectroscopy of Ra213
An experimental scheme combining the mass resolving power of a Penning trap with contemporary decay spectroscopy has been established at GSI Darmstadt. The Universal Linear Accelerator (UNILAC) at GSI Darmstadt provided a $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ beam impinging on a thin $^{170}\mathrm{Er}$ target foil. Subsequent to velocity filtering of reaction products in the Separator for Heavy Ion reaction Products (SHIP), the nuclear ground state of the $5n$ evaporation channel $^{213}\mathrm{Ra}$ was mass-selected in SHIPTRAP, and the $^{213}\mathrm{Ra}$ ions were finally transferred into an array of silicon strip detectors surrounded by large composite germanium detectors. Based on comprehensive geant4 s…
Direct mass measurements of cadmium and palladium isotopes and their double-βtransitionQvalues
The Q-value of the double-electron capture in Cd-108 has been determined to be (272.04 +/- 0.55) keV in a direct measurement with the double-Penning trap mass spectrometer TRIGA-TRAP. Based on this result a resonant enhancement of the decay rate of Cd-108 is excluded. We have confirmed the double-beta transition Q-values of Cd-106 and Pd-110 recently measured with the Penning-trap mass spectrometers SHIPTRAP and ISOLTRAP, respectively. Furthermore, the atomic masses of the involved nuclides Cd-106, Cd-108, Cd-110, Pd-106, Pd-108 and Pd-110 have been directly linked to the atomic mass standard.
Charge breeding rare isotopes for high precision mass measurements: challenges and opportunities
Ion charge breeding for Penning-trap mass spectrometry has been established as providing a precision increase that scales linearly with the charge state of the ion. Fast and efficient charge breeding is a precondition for the application of this approach to rare isotopes. However, in view of low yields and short half-lives the precision boost is partly compromised by unavoidable ion losses inherent to the charge breeding process. The mass spectrometer TRIUMFs ion trap for atomic and nuclear science is pioneering this field by coupling a Penning trap and an electron beam ion trap to the rare-isotope beam facility ISAC at TRIUMF. Here we present simulations that calculate and maximize the eff…
TRIGA-SPEC: the prototype of MATS and LaSpec
Investigation of short-lived nuclei is a challenging task that MATS and LaSpec will handle at the low energy branch of Super-FRS at FAIR. The groundwork for those experiments is laid-out already today at the TRIGA-SPEC facility as a powerful development platform located at the research reactor TRIGA Mainz. The latest status, new developments and first results of commissioning runs are presented here.
A setup to develop novel Chemical Isobaric SEparation (CISE)
Abstract Gas catchers are widely used to thermalize nuclear reaction products and subsequently extract them for precision measurements. However, impurities in the inert stopping gas can chemically react with the ions and thus influence the extraction efficiency. So far, chemical reactions in the gas-catcher have not been investigated in detail. Therefore, we are currently building a new setup to develop Chemical Isobaric SEparation (CISE) with the aim to understand the chemistry inside the gas-catcher and to explore its potential as a new technique for separation of isobars. In this paper, we give a short description of the setup together with the ion transportation studies performed via io…
New determination of double-β-decay properties in48Ca: High-precisionQββ-value measurement and improved nuclear matrix element calculations
We report a direct measurement of the Q-value of the neutrinoless double-beta-decay candidate 48Ca at the TITAN Penning-trap mass spectrometer, with the result that Q = 4267.98(32) keV. We measured the masses of both the mother and daughter nuclides, and in the latter case found a 1 keV deviation from the literature value. In addition to the Q-value, we also present results of a new calculation of the neutrinoless double-beta-decay nuclear matrix element of 48Ca. Using diagrammatic many-body perturbation theory to second order to account for physics outside the valence space, we constructed an effective shell-model double-beta-decay operator, which increased the nuclear matrix element by ab…
Extending Penning trap mass measurements with SHIPTRAP to the heaviest elements
Penning-trap mass spectrometry of radionuclides provides accurate mass values and absolute binding energies. Such mass measurements are sensitive indicators of the nuclear structure evolution far away from stability. Recently, direct mass measurements have been extended to the heavy elements nobelium (Z=102) and lawrencium (Z=103) with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer SHIPTRAP. The results probe nuclear shell effects at N=152. New developments will pave the way to access even heavier nuclides.
The performance of the cryogenic buffer-gas stopping cell of SHIPTRAP
Direct high-precision mass spectrometry of the heaviest elements with SHIPTRAP, at GSI in Darmstadt, Germany, requires high efficiency to deal with the low production rates of such exotic nuclides. A second-generation gas stopping cell, operating at cryogenic temperatures, was developed and recently integrated into the relocated system to boost the overall efficiency. Offline measurements using 223Ra and 225Ac recoil-ion sources placed inside the gas volume were performed to characterize the gas stopping cell with respect to purity and extraction efficiency. In addition, a first online test using the fusion-evaporation residue 254No was performed, resulting in a combined stopping and extrac…
Mass measurements on stable nuclides in the rare-earth region with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer RIGA-TRAP
The masses of 15 stable nuclides in the rare-earth region have been measured with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer TRIGA-TRAP. This is the first series of absolute mass measurements linking these nuclides to the atomic-mass standard $^{12}\mathrm{C}$. Previously, nuclear reaction studies almost exclusively determined the literature values of these masses in the Atomic-Mass Evaluation. The TRIGA-TRAP results show deviations on the order of 3--4 standard deviations from the latest published values of the Atomic-Mass Evaluation 2003 for some cases. However, the binding-energy differences that are important for nuclear structure studies have been confirmed and improved. The new masses are dis…
Direct Mapping of Nuclear Shell Effects in the Heaviest Elements
Quantum-mechanical shell effects are expected to strongly enhance nuclear binding on an "island of stability" of superheavy elements. The predicted center at proton number $Z=114,120$, or $126$ and neutron number $N=184$ has been substantiated by the recent synthesis of new elements up to $Z=118$. However the location of the center and the extension of the island of stability remain vague. High-precision mass spectrometry allows the direct measurement of nuclear binding energies and thus the determination of the strength of shell effects. Here, we present such measurements for nobelium and lawrencium isotopes, which also pin down the deformed shell gap at $N=152$.
Targets on superhydrophobic surfaces for laser ablation ion sources
Target preparation techniques for a laser ablation ion source at the Penning-trap mass spectrometer TRIGA-TRAP have been investigated with regard to future experiments with actinides. To be able to perform mass measurements on these nuclides considering their limited availability, an efficient target preparation technique is mandatory. Here, we report on a new approach for target production using backings, which are pretreated in a way that a superhydrophobic surface is formed. This resulted in improved targets with a more homogeneous distribution of the target material compared to standard techniques with unmodified backings. It was demonstrated that the use of these new targets in a laser…
Direct high-precision mass measurements onAm241,243,Pu244, andCf249
The absolute masses of four long-lived transuranium nuclides, $^{241,243}\mathrm{Am}$, $^{244}\mathrm{Pu}$, $^{244}\mathrm{Pu}$, and $^{249}\mathrm{Cf}$, in the vicinity of the deformed $N=152$ neutron shell closure have been measured directly with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer TRIGA-TRAP. Our measurements confirm the AME2012 mass values of $^{241,243}\mathrm{Am}$ and $^{244}\mathrm{Pu}$ within one standard deviation, which were indirectly determined, by decay spectroscopy studies. In the case of the $^{249}\mathrm{Cf}$ mass, a discrepancy of more than three standard deviations has been observed, affecting absolute masses even in the superheavy element region. The implementation of the…
Quantum-state-selective decay spectroscopy of 213Ra
An experimental scheme combining the mass resolving power of a Penning trap with contemporary decay spectroscopy has been established at GSI Darmstadt. The Universal Linear Accelerator (UNILAC) at GSI Darmstadt provided a 48Ca beam impinging on a thin 170Er target foil. Subsequent to velocity filtering of reaction products in the Separator for Heavy Ion reaction Products (SHIP), the nuclear ground state of the 5n evaporation channel 213Ra was mass-selected in SHIPTRAP, and the 213Ra ions were finally transferred into an array of silicon strip detectors surrounded by large composite germanium detectors. Based on comprehensive geant4 simulations and supported by theoretical calculations, the …