MISTRAL: A new program for precise atomic mass determinations of nuclides far from stability

The MISTRAL project (Mass measurements at ISolde using a Transmission RAdiofrequency spectrometer on-Line) is scheduled to begin experiments towards the end of 1996. With high resolution (10⁵), potentially high accuracy (5×10^–7) and excellent sensitivity (10 s^–1), the MISTRAL spectrometer promises to provide needed mass measurements in regions of very-short lived nuclei. The spectrometer operation principles are described and a discussion concerning the interest in using highly charged ions is presented.CSNSM, Orsay; IAP, Bucharest; PPE Division, CERN; GSI, Darmstadt; University of Mainz; McGill University, Montreal; IPN, Orsay; Chalmers University, Göteborg; University of Giessen and the ISOLDE Collaboration.