T. Stora

Studies of pear-shaped nuclei using accelerated radioactive beams

There is strong circumstantial evidence that certain heavy, unstable atomic nuclei are ‘octupole deformed’, that is, distorted into a pear shape. This contrasts with the more prevalent rugby-ball shape of nuclei with reflection-symmetric, quadrupole deformations. The elusive octupole deformed nuclei are of importance for nuclear structure theory, and also in searches for physics beyond the standard model; any measurable electric-dipole moment (a signature of the latter) is expected to be amplified in such nuclei. Here we determine electric octupole transition strengths (a direct measure of octupole correlations) for short-lived isotopes of radon and radium. Coulomb excitation experiments were performed using accelerated beams of heavy, radioactive ions. Our data on 220Rn and 224Ra show clear evidence for stronger octupole deformation in the latter. The results enable discrimination between differing theoretical approaches to octupole correlations, and help to constrain suitable candidates for experimental studies of atomic electric-dipole moments that might reveal extensions to the standard model.

Measurement of the first ionization potential of lawrencium, element 103

The chemical properties of an element are primarily governed by the configuration of electrons in the valence shell. Relativistic effects influence the electronic structure of heavy elements in the sixth row of the periodic table, and these effects increase dramatically in the seventh row—including the actinides—even affecting ground-state configurations. Atomic s and p1/2 orbitals are stabilized by relativistic effects, whereas p3/2, d and f orbitals are destabilized, so that ground-state configurations of heavy elements may differ from those of lighter elements in the same group. The first ionization potential (IP1) is a measure of the energy required to remove one valence electron from a neutral atom, and is an atomic property that reflects the outermost electronic configuration. Precise and accurate experimental determination of IP1 gives information on the binding energy of valence electrons, and also, therefore, on the degree of relativistic stabilization. However, such measurements are hampered by the difficulty in obtaining the heaviest elements on scales of more than one atom at a time. Here we report that the experimentally obtained IP1 of the heaviest actinide, lawrencium (Lr, atomic number 103), is electronvolts. The IP1 of Lr was measured with 256Lr (half-life 27 seconds) using an efficient surface ion-source and a radioisotope detection system coupled to a mass separator. The measured IP1 is in excellent agreement with the value of 4.963(15) electronvolts predicted here by state-of-the-art relativistic calculations. The present work provides a reliable benchmark for theoretical calculations and also opens the way for IP1 measurements of superheavy elements (that is, transactinides) on an atom-at-a-time scale.

Development of high efficiency Versatile Arc Discharge Ion Source at CERN ISOLDE

We report here recent developments of Forced Electron Beam Induced Arc Discharge (FEBIAD) ion sources at the ISOLDE radioactive ion beam facility, hosted at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). As a result of the propositions to improve the ionization efficiency, two FEBIAD prototypes have been produced and successfully tested in 2008. Off-line studies showed that the 1+ ionization efficiencies for noble gases are 5-20 times larger than with the standard ISOLDE FEBIAD ion sources and reach 60% for radon, which allowed the identification at ISOLDE of (229)Rn, an isotope that had never previously been observed in the laboratory. A factor of 3 increase is also expected for the ionization efficiency of the other elements. The experimental and theoretical methodology is presented. The theoretical model, which gives precise insights on the processes affecting the ionization, is used to design optimal sources (grouped under the name of VADIS--Versatile Arc Discharge Ion Source) for the different chemical classes of the produced isotopes, as already demonstrated for the noble gases.

First successful ionization of Lr (Z = 103) by a surface-ionization technique

We have developed a surface ionization ion-source as part of the JAEA-ISOL (Isotope Separator On-Line) setup, which is coupled to a He/CdI2 gas-jet transport system to determine the first ionization potential of the heaviest actinide lawrencium (Lr, Z = 103). The new ion-source is an improved version of the previous source that provided good ionization efficiencies for lanthanides. An additional filament was newly installed to give better control over its operation. We report, here, on the development of the new gas-jet coupled surface ion-source and on the first successful ionization and mass separation of 27-s (256)Lr produced in the (249)Cf + (11)B reaction.

44Ti, 26Al and 53Mn samples for nuclear astrophysics: the needs, the possibilities and the sources

Exploration of the physics involved in the production of cosmogenic radionuclides requires experiments using the same rare, radioactive nuclei in sufficient quantities. For this work, such exotic radionuclides have been extracted from previously proton-irradiated stainless steel samples using wet chemistry separation techniques. The irradiated construction material has arisen from an extended material research programme at the Paul Scherrer Institute, called STIP (SINQ Target Irradiation Program), where several thousand samples of different materials were irradiated with protons and neutrons of energies up to 570 MeV. In total, 8 × 1017 atoms of 44Ti, ∼1016 atoms of 26Al and ∼1019 atoms of 53Mn are available from selected samples. These materials may now be used to produce targets or radioactive beams for nuclear reaction studies with protons, neutrons and α-particles. The work is part of the ERAWAST initiative (Exotic Radionuclides from Accelerator Waste for Science and Technology), aimed at facilitating new collaborations between the isotope producers and users from different scientific fields including nuclear astrophysics.

A high intensity 6He beam for the β-beam neutrino oscillation facility

This work presents the production and extraction of the short-lived radionuclide 6He in yet unmatched yields from the ISOLDE facility at CERN. It is the first report of 6He production using spallation neutrons via the 9Be(n, α)6He reaction. These neutrons are produced from the 1.4 GeV proton beam of the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) striking a tungsten converter, and are impinging on a porous BeO material. The central position of 6He in future experiments is due to its role as a necessary radioactive nucleus to realize the β-beam at CERN, a next-generation facility to study neutrino oscillation parameters, and hence neutrino masses. In the β-beam scenario, an intense beam of radioactive 6He nuclei will be produced, accelerated to multi-GeV energies and stored in a dedicated storage ring. The resulting virtually mono-directional anti-neutrino beam from the decay of the stored 6He nuclei will be directed towards a remote underground neutrino detector. A similar beam of, e.g., 18Ne will provide neutrinos, an ideal concept to test CP violation in the neutrino sector. The results of the present experiment demonstrate for the first time that the necessary conditions for the realization of the proposed β-beam scheme with anti-neutrinos can be fulfilled.

EURISOL High Power Targets

Modern Nuclear Physics requires access to higher yields of rare isotopes, that relies on further development of the In-flight and Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) production methods. The limits of the In-Flight method will be applied via the next generation facilities FAIR in Germany, RIKEN in Japan, and RIBF in the United States. The ISOL method will be explored at facilities including ISAC-TRIUMF in Canada, SPIRAL-2 in France, SPES in Italy, ISOLDE at CERN, and eventually at the very ambitious multi-MW EURISOL facility [1]. ISOL and in-flight facilities are complementary entities. While in-flight facilities excel in the production of very short lived radioisotopes independently of their chemical nature, ISOL facilities provide high Radioisotope Ion Beam (RIB) intensities and excellent beam quality for 70 elements. Both production schemes are opening vast and rich fields of nuclear physics research.

Production and Separation of T = 1/2 Nuclides for β—ν angular correlation measurements

The SPIRAL facility at GANIL, which uses the so‐called ISOL method to produce radioactive ion beams, is being upgraded to extend its production capabilities to the metallic beams of neutron deficient isotopes. We discuss here the potentialities offered by this upgrade for the measurement of the β—ν angular correlation in the β—decay of mirror nuclides.

Exploitation of Accelerator Waste for Radioactive Ion Beams: A Nuclear Astrophysics Application

Science drives technology, and technology enables science. Such is the case in accelerator-based nuclear physics, where the scientific need to measure certain reactions has been the driving force behind the development of new beams, and in particular, radioactive ion beams. In turn, the availability of radioactive ion beams has enabled new areas of research to be explored. Despite great advances, progress remains challenging. In most cases, significant development is required for each new beam at each individual facility. Particularly challenging are cases in which chemistry inhibits the production and extraction of the ions from the source, when the intensities required are high, and when gaseous targets are required to probe the nuclear reactions. Some direct measurements of cross-sections for nuclear astrophysics provide the “perfect storm” to inhibit experimental progress.

Production, isolation and characterization of radiochemically pure 163Ho samples for the ECHo-project

Abstract Several experiments on the study of the electron neutrino mass are based on high-statistics measurements of the energy spectrum following electron capture of the radionuclide 163Ho. They rely on the availability of large, radiochemically pure samples of 163Ho. Here, we describe the production, separation, characterization, and sample production within the Electron Capture in Holmium-163 (ECHo) project. 163Ho has been produced by thermal neutron activation of enriched, prepurified 162Er targets in the high flux reactor of the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France, in irradiations lasting up to 54 days. Irradiated targets were chemically processed by means of extraction chromatography, which allowed separating the formed Ho from the 162Er target-material and from the main byproducts 170Tm and 171Tm, which are co-produced in GBq amounts. Decontamination factors of >500 for Er and of >105 for Tm and yields of 3.6·1016 and 1.2·1018 atoms of 163Ho were obtained, corresponding to a recovery yield of 95 % of Ho in the chemical separation. The Ho-fraction was characterized by means of γ-ray spectrometry, Inductively-Coupled-Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) and Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). In this process, the thermal neutron capture cross section of 163Ho was measured to σHo-163 to Ho-164m= (23±3) b and σHo-163 to Ho-164g= (156±9) b for the formation of the two isomers of 164Ho. Specific samples were produced for further purification by mass separation to isolate 163Ho from the Ho-isotope mixture, as needed for obtaining the energy spectrum within ECHo. The partial efficiency for this second separation step is (32±5) %.