RT Journal Article
T1 Alternative approach to populate and study the ^229 Th nuclear clock isomer
A1 Verlinde, M
A1 Kraemer, S.
A1 Moens, J.
A1 Fraile Prieto, Luis Mario
A1 Wilkins, S. G.
AB A new approach to observe the radiative decay of the ^229 Th nuclear isomer, and to determine its energy and radiative lifetime, is presented. Situated at a uniquely low excitation energy, this nuclear state might be a key ingredient for the development of a nuclear clock or a nuclear laser and, the search for time variations of fundamental constants like the fine structure constant. The isomer's gamma decay towards the ground state will be studied with a high-resolution vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer after its production by the beta decay of ^Ac 229. The novel production method presents a number of advantages asserting its competitive nature with respect to the commonly used ^U 233 alpha-decay recoil source. In this paper, a feasibility analysis of this new concept, and an experimental investigation of its key ingredients, using a pure ^Ac 229 ion beam produced at the ISOLDE radioactive beam facility, is reported.
PB American Physical Society
SN 2469-9985
YR 2019
FD 2019-08-12
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/88349
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/88349
LA eng
NO Artículo firmado por 27 autores
NO Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)
NO Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)
NO Unión Europea. H2020
NO European Research Council (ERC)
NO Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO)
NO Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 13 may 2025