0000000000302419
AUTHOR
T. Kessler
Electron-capture branch of Tc-100 and tests of nuclear wave functions for double-beta decays
We present a measurement of the electron-capture branch of 100Tc. Our value, B(EC)=(2.6±0.4)×10−5, implies that the 100Mo neutrino absorption cross section to the ground state of 100Tc is roughly one third larger than previously thought. Compared to previous measurements, our value of B(EC) prevents a smaller disagreement with QRPA calculations relevant to double-β decay matrix elements.
Development of a laser ion source at IGISOL
FURIOS, the Fast Universal laser IOn Source, is under development at the IGISOL (Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line) mass separator facility in Jyvaskyla, Finland. This new laser ion source will combine a state-of-the-art solid state laser system together with a dye laser system, for the selective and efficient production of exotic radioactive species without compromising the universality and fast release inherent in the IGISOL system. The motivation for, and development of, this ion source is discussed in relation to the programme of research ongoing at this mass separator facility.
Mass measurements in the vicinity of the doubly magic waiting pointNi56
Masses of $^{56,57}\mathrm{Fe}$, $^{53}\mathrm{Co}$${}^{m}$, $^{53,56}\mathrm{Co}$, $^{55,56,57}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{57,58}\mathrm{Cu}$, and $^{59,60}\mathrm{Zn}$ have been determined with the JYFLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer at the Ion-Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility with a precision of $\ensuremath{\delta}m/m\ensuremath{\leqslant}3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$. The ${Q}_{\mathrm{EC}}$ values for $^{53}\mathrm{Co}$, $^{55}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{57}\mathrm{Cu}$, $^{58}\mathrm{Cu}$, and $^{59}\mathrm{Zn}$ have been measured directly with a typical precision of better than $0.7 \mathrm{keV}$ and Coulomb displacement energies have been dete…
Electron-capture branch ofTc100and tests of nuclear wave functions for double-βdecays
We present a measurement of the electron-capture branch of $^{100}\mathrm{Tc}$. Our value, $B(\mathrm{EC})=(2.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$, implies that the $^{100}\mathrm{Mo}$ neutrino absorption cross section to the ground state of $^{100}\mathrm{Tc}$ is roughly 50% larger than previously thought. Disagreement between the experimental value and QRPA calculations relevant to double-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay matrix elements persists. We find agreement with previous measurements of the 539.5- and 590.8-keV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray intensities.
Upgrade and yields of the IGISOL facility
The front end of the Jyvaskyla IGISOL facility was upgraded in 2003 by increasing its pumping capacity and by improving the radiation shielding. In late 2005, the skimmer electrode of the mass separator was replaced by a sextupole ion guide, which improved the mass separator efficiency up to an order of magnitude. The current design of the facility is described. The updated yield data, achieved with and without the additional JYFLTRAP purification, using both fusion evaporation reactions and particle induced fission is presented to give an overview of the capability of the facility. These data have been determined either by radioactivity measurements or by direct ion counting after the Penn…
Towards on-line production of N=Z94Ag at IGISOL
Abstract A future study of the ground state and low-lying isomeric states of 94 Ag and 96 Ag at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility, University of Jyvaskyla, requires the development of a low-energy beam of neutron-deficient silver. In order to attain the highest possible extraction efficiencies the coupling of a hot cavity graphite catcher device to the IGISOL mass-separator is planned. A heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction will produce the silver recoils which will be captured in the graphite catcher. Resonant laser ionization techniques will be applied to efficiently and selectively ionize the evaporated silver atoms. A simulation program has been written to study…
Applications of the total absorption technique to improve reactor decay heat calculations: study of the beta decay of [sup 102,104,105]Tc
The decay heat of the fission products plays an important role in predicting the heat‐up of nuclear fuel after reactor shutdown. This form of energy release is calculated as the sum of the energy‐weighted activities of all fission products P(t) = ΣEiλiNi(t), where Ei is the decay energy of nuclide i (gamma and beta component), λi is the decay constant of nuclide i and Ni(t) is the number of nuclide i at cooling time t. Even though the reproduction of the measured decay heat has improved in recent years, there is still a long standing discrepancy at t∼1000 s cooling time for some fuels. A possible explanation for this disagreement can been found in the work of Yoshida et al. [1], who demonst…
Half-life, branching-ratio, andQ-value measurement for the superallowed0+→0+β+emitterTi42
The half-life, the branching ratio, and the decay $Q$ value of the superallowed $\ensuremath{\beta}$ emitter $^{42}\mathrm{Ti}$ were measured in an experiment performed at the JYFLTRAP facility of the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyv\"askyl\"a. $^{42}\mathrm{Ti}$ is the heaviest ${T}_{z}=\ensuremath{-}1$ nucleus for which high-precision measurements of these quantities have been tried. The half-life (${T}_{1/2}=208.14\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.45$ ms) and the $Q$ value [${Q}_{\mathrm{EC}}=7016.83(25)$ keV] are close to or reach the required precision of about 0.1%. The branching ratio for the superallowed decay branch [$\mathrm{BR}=47.7(12)%$], a by-product of the half-lif…
A study of on-line gas cell processes at IGISOL
Abstract The laser ion source at the IGISOL facility, Jyvaskyla, has been used to study the effects of the passage of a primary beam through an ion guide via the dynamic time profiles of yttrium and related molecular compounds. The accessibility of a neutral fraction for laser ionization is shown to be restricted to the nozzle region in the presence of a weak plasma. The survival of this neutral fraction cannot be explained by recombination of the buffer gas alone and perhaps indicates a suppression of the transport of ions due to a plasma-generated electric field. The concept of a competition between the processes that create and destroy the ion of interest is used to explain the different…
Time profile of ion pulses produced in a hot-cavity laser ion source.
The time spreads of Mn ions produced by three-photon resonant ionization in a hot-cavity laser ion source are measured. A one-dimensional ion-transport model is developed to simulate the observed ion time structures. Assuming ions are generated with a Maxwellian velocity distribution and are guided by an axial electric field, the predictions of the model agree reasonably well with the experimental data and suggest that the ions are radially confined in the ion source and a substantial fraction of the ions in the transport tube are extracted.
β-decay data requirements for reactor decay heat calculations: study of the possible source of the gamma-ray discrepancy in reactor heat summation calculations
The decay heat of fission products plays an important role in predictions of the heat up of nuclear fuel in reactors. The released energy is calculated as the summation of the activities of allfission products P(t) = Ei λi Ni(t), where Ei is the decay energy of nuclide i (gamma and beta component), λi is the decay constant of nuclide i and Ni(t) is the number of nuclide i at cooling time t. Even though the reproduction of the measured decay heat has improved in recent years, there is still a long standing discrepancy in the t ∼ 1000s cooling time for some fuels. A possible explanation to this improper description has been found in the work of Yoshida et al. (1), where it has been shown that…
Off-line studies of the laser ionization of yttrium at the IGISOL facility
A laser ion source is under development at the IGISOL facility, Jyvaskyla, in order to address deficiencies in the ion guide technique. The key elements of interest are those of a refractory nature, whose isotopes and isomers are widely studied using both laser spectroscopic and high precision mass measurement techniques. Yttrium has been the first element of choice for the new laser ion source. In this work we present a new coupled dye-Ti:Sapphire laser scheme and give a detailed discussion of the results obtained from laser ionization of yttrium atoms produced in an ion guide via joule heating of a filament. The importance of not only gas purity, but indeed the baseline vacuum pressure in…
Nuclear spin determination of100mY by collinear laser spectroscopy of optically pumped ions
The nuclear spin of the τ1/2 = 0.94 s isomer in 100Y has been determined by collinear laser spectroscopy of optically pumped yttrium fission fragments at the IGISOL facility, JYFL. The isotopes 96, 98, 99, 100Y were produced by the proton-induced fission of natural uranium, and studied on the 4d5s 3D2 (1045 cm−1) → 4d5p 3P1 (32 124 cm−1) transition at 321.67 nm. Enhancement of the population of the metastable 3D2 level was achieved by optically pumping the ground state population via the 5s2 1S0 → 4d5p 1P1 transition at 363.31 nm while the ions were stored in a linear Paul trap. These data, when combined with previous spectroscopic results, give sufficient information for the nuclear spin o…
Laser spectroscopy of niobium fission fragments: first use of optical pumping in an ion beam cooler buncher.
A new method of optical pumping in an ion beam cooler buncher has been developed to selectively enhance ionic metastable state populations. The technique permits the study of elements previously inaccessible to laser spectroscopy and has been applied here to the study of Nb. Model independent mean-square charge radii and nuclear moments have been studied for $^{90,90\text{ }\mathrm{m},91,91\text{ }\mathrm{m},92,93,99,101,103}\mathrm{Nb}$ to cover the region of the $N=50$ shell closure and $N\ensuremath{\approx}60$ sudden onset of deformation. The increase in mean-square charge radius is observed to be less than that for Y, with a substantial degree of $\ensuremath{\beta}$ softness observed …
Ultra Trace Determination Scheme for26Al by High-Resolution Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry using a Pulsed Ti:Sapphire Laser
We propose an ultra trace analysis approach for 26Al by high-resolution Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) using a pulsed narrow band-width Ti:Sapphire laser. For ensuring efficient ionization and high isotopic selectivity in RIMS of Al, we developed an injection seeded pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser with high repetition rate operation at up to 10 kHz. The laser produced an output power of 2 W and a spectral band-width of ~20 MHz with a repetition rate of 7 kHz. A first demonstration of its performance was done by detecting stable 27Al using RIMS.
Reactor Decay Heat inPu239: Solving theγDiscrepancy in the 4–3000-s Cooling Period
The {beta} feeding probability of {sup 102,104,105,106,107}Tc, {sup 105}Mo, and {sup 101}Nb nuclei, which are important contributors to the decay heat in nuclear reactors, has been measured using the total absorption technique. We have coupled for the first time a total absorption spectrometer to a Penning trap in order to obtain sources of very high isobaric purity. Our results solve a significant part of a long-standing discrepancy in the {gamma} component of the decay heat for {sup 239}Pu in the 4-3000 s range.
A hot cavity laser ion source at IGISOL
A development program is underway at the IGISOL (Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line) facility, University of Jyvaskyla, to efficiently and selectively produce low-energy radioactive ion beams of silver isotopes and isomers, with a particular interest in N=Z 94Ag. A hot cavity ion source has been installed, based on the FEBIAD (Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc Discharge) technique, combined with a titanium:sapphire laser system for selective laser ionization. The silver recoils produced via the heavy-ion fusion-evaporation reaction, 40Ca(58Ni, p3n)94Ag, are stopped in a graphite catcher, diffused, extracted and subsequently ionized using a three-step laser ionization scheme. The performance…
A sextupole ion beam guide to improve the efficiency and beam quality at IGISOL
The laser ion source project at the IGISOL facility, Jyvaskyla, has motivated the development and construction of an rf sextupole ion beam guide (SPIG) to replace the original skimmer electrode. The SPIG has been tested both off-line and on-line in proton-induced fission, light-ion and heavy-ion induced fusion-evaporation reactions and, in each case, has been directly compared to the skimmer system. For both fission and light-ion induced fusion, the SPIG has improved the mass-separated ion yields by a factor of typically 4 to 8. Correspondingly, the transmission efficiency of both systems has been studied in simulations with and without space charge effects. The transport capacity of the SP…
Improvements on Decay Heat Summation Calculations by Means of Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy Measurements
The decay heat of fission products plays an important role in predictions of the heat released by nuclear fuel in reactors. In this contribution we present results of the analysis of the measurement of the beta decay of some refractory isotopes that were considered possible important contributors to the decay heat in reactors. The measurements presented here were performed at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyvaeskylae, Finland. In our measurements we have combined for the first time a Penning trap (JYFLTRAP), which was used as a high resolution isobaric separator, with a total absorption spectrometer. The results of the measurements as well as their consequences for decay heat sum…
Three-step resonant photoionization spectroscopy of Ni and Ge: ionization potential and odd-parity Rydberg levels
In preparation of a laser ion source, we have investigated multi-step laser ionization via Rydberg and autoionizing states for atomic Ni and Ge using a mass separator with an ion beam energy of 20 keV. For both elements resonant three-step excitation schemes suitable for modern Ti:sapphire laser systems were developed. Rydberg series in the range of principal quantum numbers 20 n 80 were localized, assigned and quantum numbers were allocated to the individual resonances. Ionization potentials (IP) were extracted from fits of the individual series and quantum defects of individual levels were analysed for confirmation of series assignment. For Ni the ionization potential could be extracted w…
Laser ion source tests at the HRIBF on stable Sn, Ge and Ni isotopes
Abstract As one step in the ion source development for the Rare Isotope Accelerator, a hot-cavity laser ion source using an all-solid-state titanium–sapphire laser system has been tested at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. Resonance ionization of stable isotopes of Sn, Ge and Ni has been studied in a Ta hot cavity. Efficient three step resonant ionization schemes applying frequency tripling for the first excitation step and using auto-ionizing or atomic Rydberg states in the ionizing step have been identified for all three elements, resulting in laser ion beams of typically around 100 nA. By saturating most of the optical excitation steps involved, ionization efficiencies of 22%…
Optical spectroscopy and performance tests with a solid state laser ion source at HRIBF
An ISOLDE-type hot-cavity laser ion source based on high-repetition-rate Ti:Sapphire lasers has been set up at the Holifield radioactive ion beam facility. To assess the feasibility of the all-solid-state laser system for applications at advanced radioactive ion beam facilities, spectroscopy and performance tests have been conducted with this source. The results of recent studies on excitation schemes, source efficiency, beam emittance and ion time structure are presented.
Gas jet studies towards an optimization of the IGISOL LIST method
Abstract Gas jets emitted from an ion guide have been studied as a function of nozzle type and gas cell-to-background pressure ratio in order to obtain a low divergent, uniform jet over a distance of several cm. The jet has been probed by imaging the light emitted from excited argon or helium gas atoms. For a simple exit hole or converging-diverging nozzle, the jet diameter was found to be insensitive to the nozzle shape and inlet pressure. Sonic jets with a FWHM below 6 mm were achieved with a background pressure larger than 1 mbar in the expansion chamber. The measurements are supported by the detection of radioactive 219 Rn recoils from an alpha recoil source mounted within the gas cell.…
Development of a carbon-cluster ion source for JYFLTRAP
Abstract A carbon-cluster ion source based on laser ablation and ionization of a carbon sample has been built and tested for the JYFLTRAP setup. In the present configuration the ion source is situated in the electrostatic switchyard in front of the radiofrequency (RFQ) cooler and buncher. In this position the beam quality of the carbon clusters injected into the Penning trap system is considerably improved by the RFQ. Moreover, the mass-dependence of the RFQ’s transmission can be used to some extent to suppress unwanted cluster sizes.
TAS measurements for reactor physics and nuclear structure
In this contribution we will present recent total absorption measurements of the beta decay of neutron‐rich nuclei performed at the IGISOL facility of the Univ. of Jyvaskyla. In the measurements the JYFL Penning Trap was used as a high resolution isobaric separator. The total absorption technique will be described and the impact of recent results in the fields of reactor physics (decay heat calculations) and nuclear structure will be discussed.
Time profiles of ions produced in a hot-cavity resonant ionization laser ion source
Abstract The time profiles of Cu, Sn, and Ni ions extracted from a hot-cavity resonant ionization laser ion source are investigated. The ions are produced in the ion source by three-photon resonant ionization with pulsed Ti:Sapphire lasers. Measurements show that the time spread of these ions generated within laser pulses of about 30 ns duration could be larger than 100 μs when the ions are extracted from the ion source. A one-dimensional ion-transport model using the Monte Carlo method is developed to simulate the time dependence of the ion pulses. The prediction of the model agrees reasonably well with the experimental data. To reproduce the observed ion time profiles, we find it necessar…
An ion guide for the production of a low energy ion beam of daughter products of α-emitters
A new ion guide has been modeled and tested for the production of a low energy ($\approx$ 40 kV) ion beam of daughter products of alpha-emitting isotopes. The guide is designed to evacuate daughter recoils originating from the $\alpha$-decay of a $^{233}$U source. The source is electroplated onto stainless steel strips and mounted along the inner walls of an ion guide chamber. A combination of electric fields and helium gas flow transport the ions through an exit hole for injection into a mass separator. Ion guide efficiencies for the extraction of $^{229}$Th$^{+}$ (0.06%), $^{221}$Fr$^{+}$ (6%), and $^{217}$At$^{+}$ (6%) beams have been measured. A detailed study of the electric field and …
Total absorption study of theβdecay of102,104,105Tc
The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-feeding probabilities for three important contributors to the decay heat in nuclear reactors, namely ${}^{102,104,105}$Tc, have been measured using the total absorption spectroscopy technique. For the measurements, sources of very high isobaric purity have been obtained using a Penning trap (JYFLTRAP). A detailed description of the data analysis is given and the results are compared with high-resolution measurements and theoretical calculations.
Electron-capture branch of 100Tc and tests of nuclear wave functions for double-beta decays
We present a measurement of the electron-capture branch of $^{100}$Tc. Our value, $B(\text{EC}) = (2.6 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{-5}$, implies that the $^{100}$Mo neutrino absorption cross section to the ground state of $^{100}$Tc is roughly one third larger than previously thought. Compared to previous measurements, our value of $B(\text{EC})$ prevents a smaller disagreement with QRPA calculations relevant to double-$\beta$ decay matrix elements.
Unidirectional Spin Hall Magnetoresistance as a Tool for Probing the Interfacial Spin Polarization of Co2MnSi
Materials with high spin polarization, such as Heusler compounds, are required for efficient spintronics. The authors propose an approach to probe the transport spin polarization at interfaces, using the recently discovered unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance. They show that insertion of thin Ag(001) layers clearly increases the interfacial spin polarization of the Heusler compound Co${}_{2}$MnSi, which is crucial for giant-magnetoresistance devices.