S. G. Zemlyanoi

Production of heavy atomic clusters upon interaction of laser radiation with matter

The results of an investigation of the formation of Pb, Th, and U clusters over a broad range of numbers of atoms (from a few atoms to macroparticles) upon interaction of high-power pulsed laser radiation with matter are presented. Clusters of fissionable elements are studied for the first time. A setup for determining the yield of clusters and the number of atoms in them, which is based on the use of several different methods (laser resonance fluorescence, time-of-flight measurements, and counting the number of tracks of fission fragments from the cluster nuclei), is described. The dependence of the yield of clusters with various numbers of atoms on the conditions for their formation is discussed.

LASER IONIZATION SPECTROMETER BASED ON A BEAM OF CHARGED CYCLOTRON PARTICLES

An experimental setup is described for the measurement of optical atomic spectra using a beam of charged cyclotron particles. The setup consists of a gas chamber for collecting and transporting the products of nuclear reactions, an ionization spectrometer based on a pulsed Nd:YAG laser, and a system of electronic modules. The setup allows the investigation of nuclei at the limits of nucleonic stability.