Rapid extraction of short-lived isotopes from a buffer gas cell for use in gas-phase chemistry experiments, Part II : On-line studies with short-lived accelerator-produced radionuclides

• A novel combination of advanced gas-chromatography and detection systems coupled to a buffer-gas cell was characterized on-line to allow gas-phase chemical studies of accelerator-produced short-lived α-decaying mercury, francium, and astatine isotopes. These were produced in 40Ar- and 48Ca-induced nuclear fusion–evaporation reactions, subsequently isolated in the recoil separators MARS at Texas A&M University, USA, and TASCA at GSI Darmstadt, Germany, before being thermalized in a buffer-gas-stopping cell. From the latter, the nuclear reaction products were extracted into gas-phase chromatographic systems, suitable for registering α-decaying short-lived radionuclides, such as isotopes of superheavy elements. Efficiencies of 21(3)% for 204-209Fr were reached for the extraction into the optimized miniCOMPACT gas-chromatography setup, indicating that this technique enables the identification of isotopes of volatile as well as non-volatile elements. These studies guide the path towards chemical investigations of superheavy elements beyond flerovium, which are out of reach with currently used setups.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Subatomär fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Subatomic Physics (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Analytisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Analytical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Buffer gas cell

Extraction efficiency

Extraction time

Fusion–evaporation reactions

Gas catcher

Heavy elements

Superheavy elements

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)