| 1. |
- Barzakh, A., et al.
(author)
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Large Shape Staggering in Neutron-Deficient Bi Isotopes
- 2021
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007. ; 127:19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The changes in the mean-square charge radius (relative to Bi209), magnetic dipole, and electric quadrupole moments of Bi187,188,189,191 were measured using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy technique at ISOLDE (CERN). A large staggering in radii was found in Bi187,188,189g, manifested by a sharp radius increase for the ground state of Bi188 relative to the neighboring Bi187,189g. A large isomer shift was also observed for Bi188m. Both effects happen at the same neutron number, N=105, where the shape staggering and a similar isomer shift were observed in the mercury isotopes. Experimental results are reproduced by mean-field calculations where the ground or isomeric states were identified by the blocked quasiparticle configuration compatible with the observed spin, parity, and magnetic moment. © 2021 authors.
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| 2. |
- Gadelshin, V. M., et al.
(author)
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First laser ions at the CERN-MEDICIS facility
- 2020
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In: Hyperfine Interactions. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0304-3843 .- 1572-9540. ; 241:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The CERN-MEDICIS facility aims to produce emerging medical radionuclides for the theranostics approach in nuclear medicine with mass separation of ion beams. To enhance the radioisotope yield and purity of collected samples, the resonance ionization laser ion source MELISSA was constructed, and provided the first laser ions at the facility in 2019. Several operational tests were accomplished to investigate its performance in preparation for the upcoming production of terbium radioisotopes, which are of particular interest for medical applications. © 2020, The Author(s).
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| 3. |
- Vernon, A. R., et al.
(author)
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Nuclear moments of indium isotopes reveal abrupt change at magic number 82
- 2022
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 607:7918, s. 260-265
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In spite of the high-density and strongly correlated nature of the atomic nucleus, experimental and theoretical evidence suggests that around particular ‘magic’ numbers of nucleons, nuclear properties are governed by a single unpaired nucleon1,2. A microscopic understanding of the extent of this behaviour and its evolution in neutron-rich nuclei remains an open question in nuclear physics3–5. The indium isotopes are considered a textbook example of this phenomenon6, in which the constancy of their electromagnetic properties indicated that a single unpaired proton hole can provide the identity of a complex many-nucleon system6,7. Here we present precision laser spectroscopy measurements performed to investigate the validity of this simple single-particle picture. Observation of an abrupt change in the dipole moment at N = 82 indicates that, whereas the single-particle picture indeed dominates at neutron magic number N = 82 (refs. 2,8), it does not for previously studied isotopes. To investigate the microscopic origin of these observations, our work provides a combined effort with developments in two complementary nuclear many-body methods: ab initio valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group and density functional theory (DFT). We find that the inclusion of time-symmetry-breaking mean fields is essential for a correct description of nuclear magnetic properties, which were previously poorly constrained. These experimental and theoretical findings are key to understanding how seemingly simple single-particle phenomena naturally emerge from complex interactions among protons and neutrons. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.
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| 4. |
- Koszorús, Agota, et al.
(author)
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Charge radii of exotic potassium isotopes challenge nuclear theory and the magic character of N = 32
- 2021
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In: Nature Physics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-2481 .- 1745-2473. ; 17:4, s. 439-443
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nuclear charge radii are sensitive probes of different aspects of the nucleon–nucleon interaction and the bulk properties of nuclear matter, providing a stringent test and challenge for nuclear theory. Experimental evidence suggested a new magic neutron number at N = 32 (refs. 1–3) in the calcium region, whereas the unexpectedly large increases in the charge radii4,5 open new questions about the evolution of nuclear size in neutron-rich systems. By combining the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy method with β-decay detection, we were able to extend charge radii measurements of potassium isotopes beyond N = 32. Here we provide a charge radius measurement of 52K. It does not show a signature of magic behaviour at N = 32 in potassium. The results are interpreted with two state-of-the-art nuclear theories. The coupled cluster theory reproduces the odd–even variations in charge radii but not the notable increase beyond N = 28. This rise is well captured by Fayans nuclear density functional theory, which, however, overestimates the odd–even staggering effect in charge radii. These findings highlight our limited understanding of the nuclear size of neutron-rich systems, and expose problems that are present in some of the best current models of nuclear theory.
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| 5. |
- Udrescu, S. M., et al.
(author)
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Precision spectroscopy and laser-cooling scheme of a radium-containing molecule
- 2024
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In: NATURE PHYSICS. - 1745-2473 .- 1745-2481.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Molecules containing heavy radioactive nuclei are predicted to be extremely sensitive to violations of the fundamental symmetries of nature. The nuclear octupole deformation of certain radium isotopes massively boosts the sensitivity of radium monofluoride molecules to symmetry-violating nuclear properties. Moreover, these molecules are predicted to be laser coolable. Here we report measurements of the rovibronic structure of radium monofluoride molecules, which allow the determination of their laser cooling scheme. We demonstrate an improvement in resolution of more than two orders of magnitude compared to the state of the art. Our developments allowed measurements of minuscule amounts of hot molecules, with only a few hundred per second produced in a particular rotational state. The combined precision and sensitivity achieved in this work offer opportunities for studies of radioactive molecules of interest in fundamental physics, chemistry and astrophysics. Measurements of the rovibronic structure of radium monofluoride molecules allow the identification of a laser cooling scheme. This will enable precise tests of fundamental physics, such as searches for parity or time-reversal symmetry violation.
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| 6. |
- Andel, B., et al.
(author)
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β -delayed fission of isomers in Bi 188
- 2020
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In: Physical Review C. - 2469-9985. ; 102:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- β-delayed fission (βDF) decay of a low-spin (ls) and a high-spin (hs) isomer in Bi188 was studied at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. Isomer-selective laser ionization and time gating were employed to investigate each isomer separately and their βDF partial half-lives were determined: T1/2p,βDF(188Bihs)=5.6(8)×103 s and T1/2p,βDF(188Bils)=1.7(6)×103 s. This work is the first βDF study of two states in one isotope and allows the spin dependence of low-energy fission to be explored. The fission fragment mass distribution of a daughter nuclide Pb188, following the β decay of the high-spin isomer, was deduced and indicates a mixture of symmetric and asymmetric fission modes. Experimental results were compared with self-consistent mean-field calculations based on the finite-range Gogny D1M interaction. To reproduce the measured T1/2p,βDF(188Bihs), the calculated fission barrier of Pb188 had to be reduced by ≈30%. After this reduction, the measured T1/2p,βDF(188Bils) was in agreement with calculations for a few possible configurations for Bils188. Theoretical βDF probabilities for these configurations were found to be lower by a factor of 4-9 than the βDF probability of Bihs188. The fission fragment mass distribution of Pb188 was compared to the scission-point model SPY and the calculations based on the finite-range liquid-drop model. The first observation of βDF for Bi190 is also reported. © 2020 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.
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| 7. |
- Nichols, M., et al.
(author)
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Investigating radioactive negative ion production via double electron capture
- 2023
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In: Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms. - 0168-583X. ; 541, s. 264-267
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The relative cross sections for radioactive negative ion production via double electron capture have been measured for collisions between a 40 keV projectile beam of uranium-238 and potassium vapor. This was performed at the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at CERN-ISOLDE and is a step towards measuring the electron affinities (EAs) of elements that cannot be efficiently produced in negative ion sources at radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities. This includes short-lived radioactive isotopes that have low production quantities and heavy and superheavy elements that systematically have smaller EAs than work functions of available ion source materials. Negative ions are particularly sensitive to electron-electron correlation effects, which make such studies ideal for benchmarking atomic structure models that go beyond the independent particle model. While the EAs of most light elements have been measured, experimental investigations on heavier elements, namely the actinides, remain scarce due to their radioactive nature and production difficulty. By developing negative ion production by charge exchange, we aim to make these studies feasible at RIB facilities.
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| 8. |
- Urquiza-González, M., et al.
(author)
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Benchmark evaluation for a single frequency continuous wave OPO seeded pulsed dye amplifier for high-resolution laser spectroscopy
- 2023
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In: Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. - : SPIE. - 0277-786X .- 1996-756X. - 9781510659032
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The study of the atomic spectrum via resonant laser excitation provides access to underlying effects caused by the nuclear structure, which is of special interest in short-lived radioisotopes produced at Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOL) facilities. Current implementations of resonant laser ionization techniques often limit the extraction of the nuclear observables due to the low spectral resolution of the pulsed laser systems deployed. Several high-resolution spectroscopy techniques demand spectral widths in the order of hundreds of MHz and below. A proven solution to reduce this linewidth is the pulsed amplification of a narrow-band continuous wave (cw) laser. This work presents the demonstration of a pulsed dye amplifier seeded by a commercially available cw Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO). The performance of this system was compared with competing setups using a cw dye laser seed source as well as a frequency mixing technique using a combination of an injection-locked titanium:sapphire (Ti:Sa) and a Nd:YVO4 laser. Spectral bandwidths of the systems were measured using a high finesse Fabry-Perot Interferometer, resulting in comparable optical linewidths between 140 to 156 MHz at a wavelength of 328 nm for the different laser setups. Suitability for on-line experiments was validated by performing high-resolution spectroscopy of radioactive silver isotopes in the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at the Isotope Separator On-Line Device (ISOLDE), at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The quality of the hyperfine spectra was similar for the dye and the OPO seed and the deduced hyperfine splitting was in good agreement with literature, while the frequency mixing technique exhibited less precise results attributed to the frequency instabilities and mode-hops of the single-mode Nd:YVO4 laser.
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| 9. |
- Athanasakis-Kaklamanakisa, Michail, et al.
(author)
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Voltage scanning and technical upgrades at the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy experiment
- 2023
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In: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS. - 0168-583X .- 1872-9584. ; 541, s. 86-89
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To optimize the performance of the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at CERN-ISOLDE, technical upgrades are continuously introduced, aiming to enhance its sensitivity, precision, stability, and efficiency. Recently, a voltage-scanning setup was developed and commissioned at CRIS, which improved the scanning speed by a factor of three as compared to the current laser-frequency scanning approach. This leads to faster measurements of the hyperfine structure for systems with high yields (more than a few thousand ions per second). Additionally, several beamline sections have been redesigned and manufactured, including a new field-ionization unit, an electrostatic bend with a larger deflection angle, and improved ion optics. The beamline upgrades are expected to yield an improvement of at least a factor of 5 in the signal-to-noise ratio by avoiding the use of high-power lasers (which yield non-resonantly produced ions) and providing time-of-flight separation between the resonant ions and the collisional background.
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