Precision Penning trap mass measurements on exotic ions: status and perspectives

Penning traps are powerful instruments for the precise and accurate mass determination of rare isotopes. At present, many Penning trap facilities installed at radioactive beam facilities provide key data for nuclear astrophysics, for the study of nuclear structure evolution far from stability, and the test of fundamental interactions. This article summarizes the present status and current limits in the field of high-precision Penning trap mass measurements on short-lived exotic ions.