G. Sikler

A linear radiofrequency ion trap for accumulation, bunching, and emittance improvement of radioactive ion beams

An ion beam cooler and buncher has been developed for the manipulation of radioactive ion beams. The gas-filled linear radiofrequency ion trap system is installed at the Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP at ISOLDE/CERN. Its purpose is to accumulate the 60-keV continuous ISOLDE ion beam with high efficiency and to convert it into low-energy low-emittance ion pulses. The efficiency was found to exceed 10% in agreement with simulations. A more than 10-fold reduction of the ISOLDE beam emittance can be achieved. The system has been used successfully for first on-line experiments. Its principle, setup and performance will be discussed.

Mass measurements and nuclear physics-recent results from ISOLTRAP

The Penning trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP is a facility for high-precision mass measurements of short-lived radioactive nuclei installed at ISOLDE/CERN in Geneva. More than 200 masses have been measured with relative uncertainties of 1 × 10−7 or even close to 1 × 10−8 in special cases. This publication gives an overview of the measurements performed with ISOLTRAP and discusses some results.

The SHIPTRAP project: A capture and storage facility at GSI for heavy radionuclides from SHIP

SHIPTRAP is an ion trap facility which is being set up to deliver very clean and cool beams of singly-charged recoil ions produced at the SHIP velocity filter at GSI Darmstadt. SHIPTRAP consists of a gas cell for stopping and thermalizing high-energy recoil ions from SHIP, a rf ion guide for extraction of the ions from the gas cell, a linear rf trap for accumulation and bunching of the ions, and a Penning trap for isobaric purification. The physics programme of the SHIPTRAP facility comprises mass spectrometry, nuclear spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy and chemistry of transeinsteinium elements.

Mass Measurements on Short-Lived Nuclides with ISOLTRAP

Penning trap mass spectrometry has reached a state that allows its application to very short-lived nuclides available from various sources of radioactive beams. Mass values with outstanding accuracy are achieved even far from stability. This paper illustrates the state of the art by summarizing the status of the ISOLTRAP experiment at ISOLDE/CERN. Furthermore, results of mass measurements on unstable rare earth isotopes will be given.

A linear radiofrequency quadrupole ion trap for the cooling and bunching of radioactive ion beams

Abstract A linear radio-frequency quadrupole ion guide and beam buncher has been installed at the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometry experiment at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. The apparatus is being used as a beam cooling, accumulation, and bunching system. It operates with a buffer gas that cools the injected ions and converts the quasicontinuous 60-keV beam from the ISOLDE facility to 2.5-keV beam pulses with improved normalized transverse emittance. Recent measurements suggest a capture efficiency of the ion guide of up to 40% and a cooling and bunching efficiency of at least 12% which is expected to still be increased. The improved ISOLTRAP setup has so far been used very successfully in three on-line experiments.

SHIPTRAP—a capture and storage facility for heavy radionuclides at GSI

Abstract SHIPTRAP will be an ion-trap facility for heavy radionuclides delivered from SHIP. Ion traps are a perfect instrument for precision measurements since the ions can be cooled to an extremely small phase space and can be stored for a very long time. In addition one can achieve very high purity by removing contaminant ions. SHIPTRAP will extend the possibilities of measurements in traps to transuranium nuclides and provide cooled and isobarically pure ion bunches.

Mass Measurements of 114–124,130Xe with the ISOLTRAP Penning Trap Spectrometer

The masses of the xenon isotopes with 114≤A≤123 were directly measured for the first time. The experiments were carried out at the ISOLTRAP triple trap spectrometer at the on-line mass separator ISOLDE/CERN. A mass resolving power of the Penning trap spectrometer of m/Δm≈500 000 was chosen and an accuracy of δm≈12keV for all investigated Xe isotopes was achieved. An atomic mass evaluation was performed and the results of this adjustment are compared with theoretical predictions. The new results for the xenon isotopes and their effects on neighboring nuclides are discussed within the two-neutron separation energy picture.

A Physics Case for SHIPTRAP: Measuring the Masses of Transuranium Elements

SHIPTRAP will allow direct measurement of masses of transuranium nuclides. The method of choice is a Penning trap spectrometer coupled to the SHIP (Separator for Heavy Ion Products) facility at GSI, Darmstadt. In this paper the impact of the SHIPTRAP facility, with its capability of systematic mass measurements with high precision, is explored. Rather few masses of nuclides above uranium are presently known experimentally. In the region of nuclides above Z = 100 no ground state masses were measured directly. SHIPTRAP will play an important role in systematically mapping out this area. Possible candidates for direct mass measurements, even with small or very small production cross sections, are presented.

SHIPTRAP is Trapping: A Capture and Storage Device on Its Way towards a RIB-Facility

First off-line tests at the ion trap facility SHIPTRAP took place. The facility is being set up to deliver very clean and cooled beams of singly-charged recoil ions (Rare Isotope Beam) produced at the SHIP (Separator for Heavy Ion Production) velocity filter at GSI, Darmstadt. SHIPTRAP consists of a gas cell for stopping and thermalizing high-energy recoil ions from SHIP, an rf ion guide for extraction of the ions from the gas cell, a linear rf trap for accumulation and bunching of the ions, and a Penning trap for isobaric purification. The physics programme of the SHIPTRAP facility comprises mass spectrometry, nuclear spectroscopy, laser spectroscopy and chemistry of transeinsteinium elements. The progress in testing the sub-systems separately and in combinations is reported.

Status of the SHIPTRAP Project: A Capture and Storage Facility for Heavy Radionuclides from SHIP

The ion trap facility SHIPTRAP is being set up to deliver very clean and cool beams of singly-charged recoil ions produced at the SHIP velocity filter at GSI Darmstadt. SHIPTRAP consists of a gas cell for stopping and thermalizing high-energy recoil ions from SHIP, an rf ion guide for extraction of the ions from the gas cell, a linear rf trap for accumulation and bunching of the ions, and a Penning trap for isobaric purification. The progress in testing the rf ion guide is reported. A transmission of about 93(5)% was achieved.