V. A. Andrianov

High-precision x-ray spectroscopy of highly charged ions with microcalorimeters

The precise determination of the energy of the Lyman α1 and α2 lines in hydrogen-like heavy ions provides a sensitive test of quantum electrodynamics in very strong Coulomb fields. To improve the experimental precision, the new detector concept of microcalorimeters is now exploited for such measurements. Such detectors consist of compensated-doped silicon thermistors and Pb or Sn absorbers to obtain high quantum efficiency in the energy range of 40–70 keV, where the Doppler-shifted Lyman lines are located. For the first time, a microcalorimeter was applied in an experiment to precisely determine the transition energy of the Lyman lines of lead ions at the experimental storage ring at GSI. The energy of the Ly α1 line E(Ly-α1, 207Pb81+) = (77937 ± 12stat ± 25syst) eV agrees within error bars with theoretical predictions. To improve the experimental precision, a new detector array with more pixels and better energy resolution was equipped and successfully applied in an experiment to determine the Lyman-α lines of gold ions 197Au78+.

Recombination losses in STJ X-ray detectors with killed electrode

Superconducting tunnel junction X-rays detectors Ti/Nb/Al/AlOx/Al/Nb/NbN with the Ti/Nb/Al/ killed electrode were studied under irradiation by X-rays photons of different energies produced by the fluorescence method. The nonlinearity of the detector response and the shape of the detector line were analyzed on the basis of the diffusion model taking into account the quasiparticle self-recombination and edge losses.

Precise Determination of the 1s Lamb Shift in Hydrogen-Like Lead and Gold Using Microcalorimeters

Quantum electrodynamics in very strong Coulomb fields is one scope which has not yet been tested experimentally with sufficient accuracy to really determine whether the perturbative approach is valid. One sensitive test is the determination of the 1s Lamb shift in highly-charged very heavy ions. The 1s Lamb shift of hydrogen-like lead (Pb81+) and gold (Au78+) has been determined using the novel detector concept of silicon microcalorimeters for the detection of hard x-rays. The results of eV for lead and eV for gold are within the error bars in good agreement with theoretical predictions. To our knowledge, for hydrogen-like lead, this represents the most accurate determination of the 1s Lamb shift.

Precise determination of the 1s Lamb Shift in hydrogen-like heavy ions at the ESR storage ring using microcalorimeters

The precise determination of the energy of the Lyman α1 and α2 lines in hydrogen-like heavy ions provides a sensitive test of quantum electrodynamics in very strong Coulomb fields. To improve the precision of such experiments, the new detector concept of microcalorimeters, which detect the temperature change of an absorber after an incoming particle or photon has deposited its energy as heat, is now exploited. The microcalorimeters for x-rays used in these experiments consist of arrays of silicon thermometers and x-ray absorbers made of high-Z material. With such detectors, a relative energy resolution of about 1 per mille is obtained in the energy regime of 50–100 keV. Two successful measurement campaigns to determine the 1s Lamb Shift in Pb81+ and Au78+ have been completed: a prototype array has been applied successfully for the determination of the 1s Lamb Shift of Pb81+ at the ESR storage ring at GSI in a first test experiment. Based on the results of this test, a full array with 32 pixels has been equipped and has recently been applied to determine the 1s Lamb Shift in Au78+ ions. The energy of the Lyman-α1 line agrees within error bars well with theoretical predictions. The obtained accuracy is already comparable to the best accuracy obtained with conventional germanium detectors for hydrogen-like uranium.