Ionization Scheme Development at the ISOLDE RILIS

The resonance ionization laser ion source (RILIS) of the ISOLDE on-line isotope separation facility is based on the method of laser step-wise resonance ionization of atoms in a hot metal cavity. The atomic selectivity of the RILIS complements the mass selection process of the ISOLDE separator magnets to provide beams of a chosen isotope with greatly reduced isobaric contamination. Using a system of dye lasers pumped by copper vapour lasers, ion beams of 24 elements have been generated at ISOLDE with ionization efficiencies in the range of 0.5–15%. As part of the ongoing RILIS development off-line resonance ionization spectroscopy studies carried out in 2003 and 2004 have determined the optimal three-step ionization schemes for scandium, antimony, dysprosium and yttrium.     

The ISOLDE RILIS pump laser upgrade and the LARIS Laboratory

On account of its high efficiency, speed and unmatched selectivity, the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS) is the preferred method for ionizing the nuclear reaction products at the ISOLDE on-line isotope separator facility. By exploiting the unique electronic energy level ‘fingerprint’ of a chosen element, the RILIS process of laser step-wise resonance ionization enables an ion beam of high chemical purity to be sent through the mass selective separator magnet. The isobaric purity of a beam of a chosen isotope is therefore greatly increased. The RILIS, comprising of up to three frequency tunable pulsed dye lasers has been upgraded with the installation of a Nd:YAG pump laser as a replacement for the old Copper Vapor Laser (CVL) system. A summary of the current Nd:YAG pumped RILIS performance is given. To accompany the RILIS pump laser upgrade, a new ionization scheme for manganese has been developed at the newly constructed LAser Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (LARIS) laboratory and successfully applied for on-line RILIS operation. An overview of the LARIS facility is given along with details of the ionization scheme development work for manganese.     

Isomer separation and measurement of nuclear moments with the ISOLDE RILIS

Short-lived radioisotopes are element selectively ionized by the resonance ionization laser ion source (RILIS) of the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE (CERN). The relative production of low and high spin isomers can be significantly changed when a narrow-bandwidth laser is used to scan through the atomic hyperfine structure. This allows the assignment of gamma ray transitions to the decay of the individual isomers. Moreover, the measurement of the hyperfine splitting provides a very sensitive method for the determination of magnetic moments of exotic isotopes. The technical developments are discussed for the example of copper. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Study of the neutron deficient 182–190Pb isotopes by simultaneous atomic- and nuclear-spectroscopy

Mean-square charge radii and magnetic moments have been measured for the neutron deficient lead isotopes, ^182–190Pb. The measurement was performed at the ISOLDE online mass separator, using the in-source resonance ionization spectroscopy technique. The wavelength of the first excitation step for the resonance ionization laser ion source (RILIS) was scanned over the resonance(s) whilst the α- and γ-ray spectra from the decay of the Pb isotopes were recorded as a function of the wavelength. The isotope shift and, in the case of odd-A isotopes, the hyperfine splitting were deduced. The rms-charge radii of the very neutron deficient Pb isotopes follow the smooth trend of the heavier isotopes. This finding indicates a spherical shape for the lead ground states at the neutron mid-shell (N = 104), where the excitation energy of the oblate 0⁺ state in the even isotopes reaches its minimum.     

RILIS applications at CERN/ISOLDE

Since 2011 the ISOLDE Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS) has comprised a dual system of three dye and three Ti:sapphire lasers capable of gap-free wavelength tuning from 210 to 950 nm. Temporal synchronization of the lasers has enabled several operating modes to be established which make optimal use of the complementary characteristics of each laser type. This flexibility of the system has presented several opportunities for additional atomic spectroscopy studies and ionization scheme development, whilst also enabling an increase in the number of operating hours for standard ion beam production. The extended capabilities of the dual-RILIS system are exemplified by the recent operational highlights. These include on-line ionization scheme development (At, Ca), measurements of ionization energies (At, Po), in-source resonance ionization spectroscopy of exotic isotopes (At, Au, Po), and the provision of a fibre-coupled narrow-linewidth Ti:sapphire beam for the on-line commissioning of the CRIS experiment (Fr).     

Resonant Ionization Laser Ion Source Project at TRIUMF

Resonant laser excitation and ionisation is one of the most successful tools for the selective production of radioactive ion beams (RIB) at on-line mass separator facilities. TRIUMF plans to augment the current ion sources with a resonant ionisation laser ion source (RILIS), to use the high production yields from the target, as shown by the delivery of 3*10⁴/s ¹¹Li ions from a standard target ion source with surface ionisation. The development and installation of TRIUMF's RILIS (TRILIS) is necessary to provide beams of short lived isotopes that conventional ion sources could not produce in sufficient intensity and purity for nuclear-, and nuclear astrophysics- experiments. A laser system consisting of three tunable titanium–sapphire (TiSa) lasers with frequency doubling and tripling was employed to demonstrate first off-line resonance ionisation of Ga, and is being installed for first on-line test and a run on ⁶²Ga in December 2004.     

Development Towards a Laser Ion Source Trap for the Production of Exotic Species

A new type of resonance ionization laser ion source (RILIS) is presently being developed and tested at the off-line mass separator at Mainz University for future use at on-line exotic rare isotopes production facilities. For highest isobaric selectivity, this RILIS approach decouples the evaporation and ionization process. A further advantage is the generation of full temporal control of the resulting high quality ion beam. These facts are realized by a combination of atomizer – ion repeller – ion cooler and trap, which is operated together with a state-of-the-art, all solid state laser system. The principle and performance of this laser ion source trap (LIST) system are discussed applying simulation studies for the repeller-trap combination and first measurements for characterization.     

Upgrade to the IGISOL laser ion source towards spectroscopy on Tc

A new method of optical pumping has been applied to increase the power of the Ti:Sapphire laser system of the FURIOS laser ion source, Jyväskylä. This upgrade has led to a factor of two improvement in the output power, and has been directly employed in the first off-line laser ionisation tests on the long-lived refractory isotope ⁹⁹Tc. In the future further studies will be done to determine the efficiency of this ionisation scheme and to employ it for on-line experiments.     

The ISOLDE laser ion source for exotic nuclei

At the ISOLDE on line mass separator a system of copper vapor lasers and dye lasers serves for resonant ionization of atoms inside a hot cavity attached to the target. Radioactive ion beams of Yb, Ag, Mn, Ni, Zn, Be, Cu, Cd and Sn were produced with the Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS). Two and three step excitation schemes are used, providing an ionization efficiency of about 10%. Thanks to the use of the RILIS it became possible to ionize beryllium efficiently at ISOLDE, and all particle stable Be isotopes could be separated for the first time. Separation of Ag and Cu nuclear isomers was achieved in the ion source by appropriate tuning of the laser wavelength. New isotopes of Ag, Mn, Zn, Cd and Sn were found, including the r process “waiting point” nucleus ¹²⁹Ag. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

In-source laser spectroscopy developments at TRILIS—towards spectroscopy on actinium and scandium

Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Sources (RILIS) have become a versatile tool for production and study of exotic nuclides at Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOL) facilities such as ISAC at TRIUMF. The recent development and addition of a grating tuned spectroscopy laser to the TRIUMF RILIS solid state laser system allows for wide range spectral scans to investigate atomic structures on short lived isotopes, e.g., those from the element actinium, produced in uranium targets at ISAC. In addition, development of new and improved laser ionization schemes for rare isotope production at ISAC is ongoing. Here spectroscopic studies on bound states, Rydberg states and autoionizing (AI) resonances on scandium using the existing off-line capabilities are reported. These results allowed to identify a suitable ionization scheme for scandium via excitation into an autoionizing state at 58,104 cm^???1 which has subsequently been used for ionization of on-line produced exotic scandium isotopes.     

First results from the CRIS experiment

The ability to study rare isotopes with techniques such as mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy is often prevented by low production rates and large isobaric contamination. This has necessitated the development of novel beam cleaning techniques that can efficiently isolate the isotope of interest. The Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at ISOLDE, achieves this by resonantly ionizing a bunched atom beam in a region of ultra high vacuum. This method is motivated by the need to measure the hyperfine structure and isotope shift at the extremes of isospin where typical production rates drop to 1 atom/s. The technique also offers the ability to purify an ion beam and even select long-lived isomeric states (> 1 ms) from the ground state, which can be subsequently studied by decay spectroscopy or mass spectrometry experiments. This paper will report on the successful commissioning of the CRIS beam line and the recent laser spectroscopy results and laser assisted nuclear decay spectroscopy on the neutron deficient francium isotopes.     

Yttrium ionization scheme development for Ti:Sa laser based RILIS

Resonant ionization laser ion sources (RILIS) are popular ion sources if intense, radioactive ion beams (RIBs) with minimal isobaric contamination are required. The intensity of the ion beam depends strongly on the applied resonant laser ionization scheme. Based on the all solid state laser system TRIUMF’s RILIS (TRILIS) is using, the off-line development towards an efficient ionization scheme for yttrium is presented. Several continuous wavelength scans have been performed to compare different nonresonant ionization schemes and to identify suitable Rydberg or autoionizing states for resonant ionization schemes.     

First results from laser spectroscopy on bunched radioactive beams from the JYFL ion-beam cooler

A new RFQ ion-beam cooler and buncher, installed after the mass-separating magnet of the ion guide isotope separator, IGISOL, JYFL, has dramatically increased the scope of on-line laser spectroscopy at this facility. The device, operated in a bunching mode, has permitted new measurements on short-lived radionuclei in the Ti, Zr and Hf chains at a sensitivity two orders of magnitude greater than that previously achieved. The device has also opened new prospects for laser-based nuclear spectroscopy at the facility, particularly collinear resonance ionisation spectroscopy. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: pc@mags.ph.man.ac.uk     

TRIUMF resonant ionization laser ion source

The range of isotopes available at the TRIUMF Isotope Separator Accelerator (ISAC) facility has been greatly enhanced by adding a Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS). A large wavelength range is accessible with the fundamental, second and third harmonic generation of titanium-sapphire laser light. In addition a dedicated laser is available for non-resonant laser ionization. The first on-line beam ⁶²Ga was delivered in Dec. 2004. In general RILIS improves the intensity, purity and emittance of ion beams. ⁶²Ga and ²⁶Al and Be beams have been delivered so far on-line. This work was financed by TRIUMF which is federally funded via a contribution agreement through the National Research Council of Canada.     

Towards higher sensitivity and lighter elements by collinear laser spectroscopy at isolde

New resonance detection mechanisms based on atom or ion counting instead of fluorescence photon detection have been introduced in collinear laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE. This increased the sensitivity by several orders of magnitude and allowed measurements on short-lived isotopes very far from stability, which are available in minor quantities only (≤10³ ions per second). Results of recent measurements on the medium mass and light elements Sr, Kr, Ca and Li are presented.     

Development of a low-energy radioactive ion beam facility for the MARA separator

A low-energy radioactive ion beam facility for the production and study of nuclei produced close to the proton drip line is under development at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The facility will take advantage of the mass selectivity of the recently commissioned MARA vacuum-mode mass separator. The ions selected by MARA will be stopped and thermalised in a small-volume gas cell prior to extraction and further mass separation. The gas cell design allows for resonance laser ionisation/spectroscopy both in-gas-cell and in-gas-jet. The facility will include experimental setups allowing ion counting, mass measurement and decay spectroscopy.     

Spins and moments of nuclei far from stability determined by on-line atomic-beam techniques

Hyperfine structure measurements using on-line atomic-beam techniques are of great importance in the systematic study of spins and moments of nuclei far from stability. We will discuss the atomic-beam magnetic resonance (ABMR) method, and laser spectroscopy methods using crossed-beam geometry with a collimated thermal atomic-beam and collinear geometry with a fast atomic-beam. The advantages of the different methods will be compared, and selected results from the extensive measurements at the ISOLDE facility, CERN, will be presented.Fruitful discussions with members of the different hfs groups at ISOLDE, and in particular those with Dr. R. Neugart, are gratefully acknowledged.     

ORNL developments in laser ion sources for radioactive ion beam production

The development of a resonant ionization laser ion source (RILIS) for the production of isotopically pure radioactive ion beams is reported. The application of the laser ion source calls for high elemental selectivity, high efficiency, and fast release of short-lived isotopes. A hot-cavity ion source and three Ti:sapphire lasers pulsed at a 10 kHz rate are employed for the RILIS. The Ti:sapphire lasers have been upgraded with individual pump lasers to eliminate intracavity Pockels cells and output losses due to synchronization delays. The development of ionization schemes for a wide range of elements is important to the success of Ti:sapphire-laser-based RILIS. In off-line studies with stable isotopes, resonant ionization of 14 elements has been studied, leading to new ionization schemes for ten elements. The absolute ionization efficiency of the hot-cavity RILIS has been measured to range from 0.9 % to 40 % for different elements. The mechanisms for ion transportation and confinement in the hot-cavity ion source have been studied using the temporal profiles of the laser-ionized ions. The hot-cavity RILIS has provided beams of neutron-rich $^{83,85,86}$ Ga isotopes for beta decay studies and enabled the first measurement of the beta decay of the exotic $^{86}$ Ga.     

不稳定锂同位素移位的高精度测量实验方案(英文)

对丰中子晕核11Li的核电荷均方根半径的实验确定 ,特别是其与9Li的半径的差值 ,将对各种核模型进行灵敏的检验 .选择锂的合适跃迁 ,利用激光光谱技术高精度测量该跃迁的同位素移位 ,并扣除精确理论计算的质量移位贡献值 ,可以用来确定有关同位素的核电荷均方根半径 .就目前能够提供的实验设备和手段 ,对于不稳定锂的同位素8,9Li和短寿命丰中子晕核11Li而言 ,这是能够得到与核模型相独立的电荷半径值的唯一可行的方法 .这类实验正在德国重离子研究中心 (GSI)和欧洲核子中心的ISOLDE/CERN上计划实施 .描述了锂原子的激光激发共振电离途径和进行锂的同位素移位测量的实验装置,并讨论了采用这种方法测量到的6,7Li的初步结果及其精度 ,以及使用该方法研究不稳定核的灵敏性. A high-resolution isotope shift measurement of lithium isotopes in a suitable transition, combined with an accurate theoretical evaluation of the mass-shift contribution in the corresponding transition, can be used to determine the root-mean-square nuclear charge radii of these isotopes. For the unstable 8,9Li and the short-lived halo nucleus 11Li, this is the only approach available for obtaining nuclear-model-independent values of the charge radii within the reach of present-day facilities...     

Laser Stark Spectroscopy and Isotopic Separation

A potentially useful scheme for photoselective isotope enrichment is presented. The selective laser excitation step is accomplished by utilizing the Stark effect to shift molecular transitions into resonance with laser frequencies. The method is demonstrated for isotope separation of ¹³C, ¹⁵N and ²H. Laser Stark spectroscopy can sensitively detect as few as 10⁹ molecules in the optical path, thus the isotopic separation can be achieved from industrial sample mixtures containing natural abundances. A comparison of the isotopic enrichment efficiency using the present method of “exact” resonance and the previously used method of “near” resonance excitation is also given.