Francium sources and traps for fundamental interaction studies

Francium is one of the best candidates for atomic parity nonconservation (APNC) and for the search of permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs). APNC measurements test the weak force between electrons and nucleons at very low momentum transfers. They also represent a unique way to detect weak nucleon-nucleon interactions. EDMs are instead related to the time-reversal symmetry. Preliminary to these fundamental measurements are precision studies in atomic spectroscopy and the development of magneto-optical traps (MOT), which partially compensate for the lack of stable Fr isotopes. At LNL Legnaro, francium is produced by fusion of 100-MeV ¹⁸O with ¹⁹⁷Au in a thick target, followed by evaporation of neutrons from the compound nucleus. Francium diffuses inside the hot target (1200 K) and is surface ionized for injection at 3 keV in an electrostatic beamline. Typically, we produce 1×10⁶ (²¹⁰Fr ions)/s for a primary flux of 1.5×10¹² particles/s. We have studied Fr yields as a function of primary beam energy, intensity, and target temperature. Information on the efficiency of bulk diffusion, surface desorption and ionization is deduced. The beam then enters a Dryfilm-coated cell, where it is neutralized on a heated yttrium plate. The escape time of neutral Fr (diffusion + desorption) is approximately 20 s at 950 K, as measured with a dedicated setup. In the MOT, we use 6 orthogonal Ti:sapphire laser beams for the main pumping transition and 6 beams from a stabilized diode repumper. Fluorescence from trapped atoms is observed with a cooled CCD camera, in order to reach noise levels from stray light equivalent to approximately 50 atoms. Systematic tests are being done to improve the trapping efficiency. We plan to further develop Fr traps at LNL; in parallel, we will study APNC and EDM techniques and systematics with stable alkalis at Pisa, Siena, and Ferrara.     

Recent developments and on-line tests of uranium carbide targets for production of nuclides far from stability

The capacity of uranium carbide target materials of different structure and density for production of neutron-rich and heavy neutron-deficient nuclides have been investigated. The yields of Cs and Fr produced by a 1 GeV proton beam of the PNPI synchrocyclotron and release properties of different targets have been measured. Yields and release efficiencies of Cs and Fr produced from a high density UC target material and from low density UCx prepared by the ISOLDE method at IRIS in the collaboration with PARRNe group from Orsay are compared. The yields from ISOLDE original target are presented for comparison as well.     

Release time calculations for the SPES direct UCx target

A Direct Target for a mid-term RIB ISOL-type facility is being developed at LNL, in the framework of the R&D for the SPES project [1]. Using a 40 MeV proton beam impinging on a UCx thick target of 2.5 g/cm³ density, a production rate of 10¹³ in target fissions per second is expected [2]. The crucial point, when short-lived isotopes are produced in the target, is to build systems (target + ion source) with good release properties and high efficiency. Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the GEANT4 toolkit [3] and the RIBO code [4] in order to optimize our target geometry and to estimate the average release time.     

The Experimental Evaluation of Decay Rate Variations of 57Co by the Δλ/λ Method

The measurement of the relative changes / of the radioactive decay by the electron capture process is a direct experimental way to determine the relative changes of the electron charge density on the nucleus. Here we present the results of the experiment with ⁵⁷Co, where the differences of the decay rate were determined for different chemical states of ⁵⁷Co. We analyzed the experimental time dependences of the activity of ⁵⁷Co by means of the direct approximation method and the specialized optimization tool – a genetic algorithm. Using these methods improved the accuracy of the final / values between ⁵⁷Co and ⁵⁷Co(Pd), ⁵⁷CoCl₂,⁵⁷CoS, ⁵⁷CoSO₄7H₂O, which are in good agreement with theoretical considerations reflecting the electron charge rearrangement and screening effects.     

CSR放射性次级束流线

兴建中的放射性次级束流线,是兰州重离子冷却储存环中连接主环和实验环的束运线的主要部分.描述它的结构、离子光学,以及二、三阶像差校正.     

Ferromagnetic Semiconductors Studied by Hyperfine Interaction of Nuclear Probes

The ferromagnetic spinels CdCr₂Se₄ and CuCr₂Se₄ were investigated by PAC (perturbed angular correlations) after implantation of the probes ¹¹¹In(¹¹¹Cd), ^111mCd, ¹¹¹Ag(¹¹¹Cd) and ⁷⁷Br(⁷⁷Se). The site occupation of different probes was determined by magnetic and electric hyperfine interactions. Theoretical calculations of hyperfine parameters by the WIEN97 code gave satisfactory efg (electric field gradients) but the magnetic hyperfine fields are inconsistent with the experiments. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Mass Programme at GANIL Using the CSS2 and CIME Cyclotrons

The mass-measurement programme at GANIL aims to measure the masses of heavy nuclei close to the N=Z line which is the ideal region to study neutron-proton pairing. An original direct time-of-flight mass-measurement method was developed at GANIL which uses the CSS2 cyclotron as a high-resolution spectrometer. The masses of ions of A=68,76,80 and 100 have been measured with a precision of a few 10⁻⁶. Mass measurements will be performed with the new CIME cyclotron of SPIRAL using a similar method based on the measurement of the phase of the accelerated ions for different radio-frequencies. A recently approved experiment will help develop this new technique and aims to measure the mass of ³¹Ar radioactive nuclei with a precision of 10⁻⁶. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Status of HIGISOL, a New Version Equipped with SPIG and Electric Field Guidance

A new HIGISOL chamber devoted to the study of short-lived products from heavy-ion-induced fusion-evaporation reactions is proposed. It enables, via the extraction of ions by means of a SPIG (SextuPole rf Ion Guide), to improve the mass resolving power by a factor 2.5 compared to the previous system using a skimmer-ring assembly. The gas cell was also equiped with an electric field for faster transportation of recoiling ions to the nozzle where they are ejected with the gas jet. The first results obtained both with a radioactive α-source and cyclotron beam will be reported. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Study of Muon-Catalyzed Fusion in Ortho–Para Controlled Solid Deuterium

Recently, the applicability of Penning trap mass spectrometry has been extended to nuclides with a half-life of less than one second. The mass of ³³Ar (T _1/2=174 ms) was measured using the ISOLTRAP spectrometer with an accuracy of 4.2 keV. This measurement provided a stringent test of the Isobaric Multiplet Mass Equation (IMME) at mass number A=33 and isospin T=3/2. The fast measurement cycle that shows the way to other measurements of very-short-lived nuclides is presented. Furthermore, the results of the IMME test are displayed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Depopulation of the Jπ = 9- isomer in 180Ta to the Jπ = 1+ ground state by Coulomb excitation

In-beam Coulomb excitation of the exotic odd-odd nucleus ¹⁸⁰Ta has been studied by using a ¹³⁶Xe beam and a setup consisting of five EUROBALL CLUSTER detectors and the Darmstadt-Heidelberg Crystal Ball array. Spectroscopic information on the extremely rare ¹⁸⁰Ta is obtained from the comparison between an enriched (3.6±0.3% ¹⁸⁰Ta) and a natural tantalum target. Possible evidence for a depopulation from the long-lived high-spin J ^π = 9^- isomer to the short-lived J ^π = 1⁺ ground state is searched for by different methods. The decay of low-K bandheads, which are nanosecond isomers, towards the ground-state band can be demonstrated in delayed spectroscopy. A γγ coincidence analysis provides indications of K = 5 in-band transitions. Finally, when the Crystal Ball is used as an energy and γ multiplicity filter, signals of decay into the K = 0 band are observed. Received: 23 January 2001 / Accepted: 8 February 2001