Search results for "Thorium"
showing 7 items of 37 documents
High-spin states of $^{218}$Th
2020
Abstract High-spin states in the N = 128 nucleus 218Th have been investigated following fusion–evaporation reactions, using the recoil-decay tagging technique. Due to the short-lived nature of the ground state of 218Th prompt γ rays have been correlated with the α decay of the daughter nucleus 214Ra. The level scheme representing the decay of excited states has been extended to (16+) with the observation of six previously unreported transitions. The observations are compared with the results of shell model calculations and within the context of the systematics of neighbouring nuclei.
Correlated e+ e− peaks observed in heavy-ion collisions
1990
Abstract Three very narrow e + e − sum-energy peaks around 610, 750, and 810 keV have been observed in U+Th as well as in U+Ta collisions at beam energies around the Coulomb barrier. As no processes involving conventional atomic and nuclear physics were found to describe their origin, the data were in particular confronted with the hypothesis that the lines are due to the two-body decay of neutral objects in an e + e + pair. Although the 810 keV sum-energy line observed in U+Th is consistent with the prompt two-body e + e − decay of a neutral object if created nearly at rest in the heavy-ion center-of-mass system, the other lines require at least a considerably more complicated scenario if …
Trapping and sympathetic cooling of single thorium ions for spectroscopy
2018
Precision optical spectroscopy of exotic ions reveals accurate information about nuclear properties such as charge radii and magnetic and quadrupole moments. Thorium ions exhibit unique nuclear properties with high relevance for testing symmetries of nature. We report loading and trapping of single $^{232}$Th$^+$ ions in a linear Paul trap, embedded into and sympathetically cooled by small crystals of trapped $^{40}$Ca$^+$ ions. Trapped Th ions are identified in a non-destructive manner from the voids in the laser-induced Ca fluorescence pattern emitted by the crystal, and alternatively, by means of a time-of-flight signal when extracting ions from the Paul trap and steering them into an ex…
Direct detection of the elusive 229thorium isomer: Milestone towards a nuclear clock
2017
Recently, the first direct detection of the long-searched low-lying isomeric first excited state of 229Th could be realized via its internal conversion decay branch, which confirms the isomer's existence and lays the foundation for precise studies of its decay parameters, in particular its half-life and excitation energy. Follow-up studies confirmed the theoretically expected lifetime reduction by about 109 of neutral 229mTh compared to charged isomers with τ∼10 μS thus emphasizing the need to efficiently suppress internal conversion when aiming for the detection of a potential photonic decay branch of 229mTh. Work towards precisely determining the excitation energy of the thorium isomer is…
Seasonal variation of air kerma in the "Vulcano Porto" area (Aeolian Islands, Italy).
2001
Abstract Air kerma was measured in the “Vulcano Porto” area of the Vulcano Island, belonging to the Aeolian Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea. Measurements were carried out using thermoluminescence dosimeters. The relationship between observed dose values and source lithology has been assessed. Data show a seasonal variation due to weather conditions but also probably related to features of the soils, making the variation more evident.
(Supplementary Table 1) 230Th/U results for stalagmite Cuba Grande (CG) from Pinar del Rio
2010
We present 22 U-series ages for a stalagmite from north-western Cuba based on multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS). Our results reveal that the stalagmite continuously grew within the last ~1400a. Low uranium content of the sample and thus, extremely low 230Th concentrations limit the precision and accuracy of 230Th/U-dating by TIMS. Samples measured by MC-ICPMS show a high variability of 232Th content along the growth axis with some sections significantly affected by initial 230Th from a detrital phase. An a-priori bulk earth ratio for (238U/232Th) cannot be used to accurately account for this initial 230Th.…
Internal conversion from excited electronic states of 229Th ions
2017
The process of internal conversion from excited electronic states is investigated theoretically for the case of the vacuum-ultraviolet nuclear transition of 229 Th . Due to the very low transition energy, the 229 Th nucleus offers the unique possibility to open the otherwise forbidden internal conversion nuclear decay channel for thorium ions via optical laser excitation of the electronic shell. We show that this feature can be exploited to investigate the isomeric state properties via observation of internal conversion from excited electronic configurations of Th + and Th 2 + ions. A possible experimental realization of the proposed scenario at the nuclear laser spectroscopy facility IGISO…