ISOLTRAP: A tandem penning trap mass spectrometer for radioactive isotopes

The masses of over sixty short-lived Rb, Sr, Cs, Ba, Fr and Ra isotopes have been measured at the on-line mass separator ISOLDE at CERN/Geneva by determination of their cyclotron frequency in the tandem Penning trap system ISOLTRAP. Resolving powers exceedingm/m(FWHM)=10⁶ and accuracies of typically m/m=10^–7 could be achieved. ISOLTRAP can also act as an isomer separator, as proven for the cases of⁸⁴Rb and⁷⁸Rb.     

Exploring new mass regions with the ISOLTRAP spectrometer

First direct mass measurements on rare earth isotopes around ¹⁴⁶Gd have been performed with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN. More than 40 isotopes of the elements Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Dy and Ho have been measured with an accuracy of typically 1 × 10^-7. In the case of ¹⁴¹Sm isomeric and ground state (ΔE = 175 keV) were resolved. Since isobaric contaminations are present in the ISOLDE beam, these measurements on rare earth isotopes became only possible after the installation of a new cooler trap which acts an isobar separator. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Isotope shift measurements on the neutron-deficient thallium isotopes

Isotope shifts of the neutron-deficient thallium isotopes were measured on-line at the UNISOR mass separator. Spectroscopy was carried out using collinear fast beam laser spectroscopy in neutral thallium. The changes of the mean square charge radii were derived from the measurements. The changes in charge radii of the I=7 isotopes, including the newly measured¹⁸⁸Tl, are compared to the results in mercury and lead.     

Direct mass measurements of neutron-deficient 152Sm projectile fragments at the FRS-ESR facility

The FRS-ESR facility at GSI provides one of the most efficient methods for direct mass measurements. In the present experiment, exotic nuclei were produced via fragmentation of ¹⁵²Sm projectiles in a thick beryllium target at 500-600 MeV/u, separated in-flight with the fragment separator FRS, and injected into the storage-cooler ring ESR. Time-resolved Schottky Mass Spectrometry was applied for mass measurements of stored and electron-cooled bare and few-electron ions. 373 different nuclides were identified by means of the spectra of their revolution frequencies. Masses for 18 nuclides (⁸⁴Zr, ⁹²Ru, ⁹⁴Rh, ^107,108,110Sb, ^111,112,114I, ¹¹⁸Ba, ^122,123La, ¹²⁴Ce, ¹²⁷Pr, ¹²⁹Nd, ¹³²Pm, ¹³⁴Sm, ¹³⁷Eu) have been determined for the first time. Masses for ^111,112I and ¹¹³Xe have been obtained via known α-decay energies. The experiment and first results will be presented.     

Nuclear spin measurements of neutron-deficient isotopes of the refractory elements

Nuclear ground and isomeric state spins of several isotopes of the refractory elements (Y, Nb, Mo, Tc, Rh, Ta, Re, Os, Ir, Pt) measured by the atomic beam magnetic resonance method, are reported. The atomic ground-state g-factor for the Os atom has also been measured.     

Direct mass measurements of the neutron-rich isotopes of fluorine through chlorine

The masses of 34 neutron-rich isotopes of fluorine through chlorine are reported. These measurements more fully delineate the mass surface in the region of deformed nuclei centered around ³¹Na and, in addition, provide the first mass values of several silicon through sulfur nuclei. We compare our data to recent shell model and mass model calculations     

Direct mass measurements of the neutron-rich isotopes of chlorine through iron

Direct mass measurements of up to 6 isotopes for each of the elements chlorine through iron (over 35 masses) have been performed using the Time-of-Flight Isochronous (TOFI) spectrometer. We have used these measurements to: (1) investigate the local dependence of neutron and proton pairing energies on neutron excess, (2) find a new region of enhanced binding centered around⁵³Sc, and (3) evaluate the predictive capabilities of several mass models.     

Carbon clusters for absolute mass measurements at ISOLTRAP

The cyclotron frequencies of singly charged carbon clusters C_n ⁺ (n ≥ 2) were measured with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN. The present limit of mass accuracy δm/m = 1.2 ^. 10^-8 and the extent of the mass-dependent systematic shift (δm/m)_sys = 1.7(0.6) ^. 10^-10/u ^. (m - m _ref) of the setup were investigated for the first time. In addition, absolute mass measurements by use of pure clusters of the most abundant carbon isotope ¹²C are now possible at ISOLTRAP. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"Present address: CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland; e-mail: klaus.blaum@cern.ch     

Direct mass measurements of the neutron-rich light isotopes of lithium through fluorine

The direct mass measurements of the neutron-rich nuclei¹¹Li,¹⁴Be,¹⁷B,^19–20C,^20–22N,^23–24O, and^25–27F have been performed using the Time-of-Flight Isochronous (TOFI) spectrometer. We observe a notable drop in the two-neutron separation energies for the oxygen and fluorine isotopes afterN=15. This behavior is interpreted using the shell model.     

A new Channeltron-detector setup for precision mass measurements at ISOLTRAP

Recent technical developments at ISOLTRAP include the design, installation and characterization of a new Channeltron-detector setup in order to increase the detection efficiency by about a factor of 3. Since a detection efficiency close to 100% is reached, true single-ion experiments can be performed for the first time and exotic nuclides further away from the valley of stability with lower production yields and/or shorter half-lives as compared to previous investigations are accessible. This publication comprises part of the thesis of C. Yazidjian.     

Nuclear moments of the neutron-deficient thallium isotopes

The nuclear moments of the neutron-deficient^187,188Tl isotopes were determined by measuring the hyperfine structure splittings of the λ=535 nm line in neutral thallium. An optical efficiency of 2×10⁻⁴ photons per radioactive ion was achieved using collinear fast beam laser spectroscopy with a large solid angle fiber optical array detector. Most of the moments can be interpreted fairly well in the single particle model.     

Investigation of neutron-deficient isotopes in the barium-region

Bombarding targets of 106Cd,¹⁰⁸Cd and¹¹⁰Cd with¹⁶O ions of 52.5–66.0 MeV neutron deficient barium, cesium and xenon isotopes were produced and have been studied using excitation functions and neutron-gamma, proton-gamma, alpha-gamma and gammagamma coincidence measurements. Partial level schemes for¹²³Ba and¹²¹Ba were proposed. A number of gamma transitions was assigned to the different product nuclei. The measured particle emission probabilities from the compound nuclei are compared with different evaporation models. The models mostly underestimate neutron emission and often overestimate the emission of alpha particles.     

Investigation of neutron-deficient isotopes in the barium-region

Bombarding targets of 106Cd,¹⁰⁸Cd and¹¹⁰Cd with¹⁶O ions of 52.5–66.0 MeV neutron deficient barium, cesium and xenon isotopes were produced and have been studied using excitation functions and neutron-gamma, proton-gamma, alpha-gamma and gammagamma coincidence measurements. Partial level schemes for¹²³Ba and¹²¹Ba were proposed. A number of gamma transitions was assigned to the different product nuclei. The measured particle emission probabilities from the compound nuclei are compared with different evaporation models. The models mostly underestimate neutron emission and often overestimate the emission of alpha particles.     

Nuclear spins of neutron-deficient thulium isotopes

Cyclotron-produced thulium isotopes have been investigated using the atomic-beam magnetic resonance method. The spin measurements have given the following results: ¹⁵⁹Tm (9 min) , ¹⁶⁰Tm (9 min) I = 1, ¹⁶¹Tm (37 min) , ¹⁶²Tm (21.5 min) I = 1, ¹⁶⁴Tm (2 min) I = 1, ^164m Tm (5 min) I = 6 and ¹⁶⁸Tm (87 d) I = 3. An interpretation based on the Nilsson diagram for odd protons clearly indicates a systematic variation in the nuclear deformation.     

Beta-decay of even-A neutron-deficient Pr isotopes

Even-A praseodymium activities have been produced and identified in the⁴⁰Ca +^92–96Mo reactions at 5.8 MeV/u:¹²⁶Pr[T_1/2=(3.0 ±0.4)s]¹²⁸Pr[T_1/2=(3.1 ±0.3)s],¹³⁰Pr[T_1/2 =(40.0 ±0.4)s]¹³²Pr[T_1/2=1.6 min]. Several new low-energy levels have been populated in even-even cerium nuclei.     

Ground-state properties of neutron-deficient platinum isotopes

The hyperfine structure splitting and the isotope shift in the =266 nm transition of Pt isotopes within the mass range 183 A 198 have been determined by Resonance Ionization Mass Spectroscopy (RIMS) in combination with Pulsed-Laser Induced Desorption (PLID). The Pt isotopes were obtained at the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE-3/CERN as daugthers of the primarily produced Hg isotopes. Magnetic moments, quadrupole moments, and changes in the mean-square charge radii are deduced and compared with results of a particle-triaxial rotor model and mean field calculations. Good agreement with experimental data (including nuclear level schemes and transition probabilities) can only be obtained if triaxial shape is admitted. The calculations yield a smooth transition in the shape of odd-A Pt nuclei from a slightly deformed, nearly oblate¹⁹⁵Pt via triaxial^197-187Pt to a strongly deformed nearly prolate¹⁷⁷Pt.Dedicated to P. Armbruster on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

From direct to absolute mass measurements: A study of the accuracy of ISOLTRAP

For a detailed study of the accuracy of the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP all expected sources of uncertainty were investigated with respect to their contributions to the uncertainty of the final result. In the course of these investigations, cross-reference measurements with singly charged carbon clusters ¹²C⁺ _n were carried out. The carbon cluster ions were produced by use of laser-induced desorption, fragmentation, and ionization of C₆₀ fullerenes and injected into and stored in the Penning trap system. The comparison of the cyclotron frequencies of different carbon clusters has provided detailed insight into the residual systematic uncertainty of ISOLTRAP and yielded a value of 8×10^-9. This also represents the current limit of mass accuracy of the apparatus. Since the unified atomic mass unit is defined as 1/12 of the mass of the ¹²C atom, it will be possible to carry out absolute mass measurements with ISOLTRAP in the future. Received 7 June 2002 Published online 6 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: a.kellerbauer@cern.ch RID="b" ID="b"Current address: Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France.     

Accurate masses of unstable rare-earth isotopes by ISOLTRAP

Direct mass measurements of neutron-deficient rare-earth isotopes in the vicinity of ¹⁴⁶Gd were performed with the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN. This paper reports on the measurement of more than 40 isotopes of the elements praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, dysprosium and holmium, that have been measured with a typical accuracy of m 14 keV. An atomic mass evaluation has been performed taking into account other experimental mass values via a least-squares adjustment. The results of the adjustment are discussed. Received: 18 April 2000 / Accepted: 12 July 2000