arXiv subjects

H. W. Wilschut

Publications and source records attributed to H. W. Wilschut.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

On-line Excited-State Laser Spectroscopy of Trapped Short-Lived Ra$^+$ Ions

As an important step towards an atomic parity violation experiment in one single trapped Ra$^+$ ion, laser spectroscopy experiments were performed with on-line produced short-lived $^{212,213,214}$Ra$^+$ ions. The isotope shift of the $6\,^2$D$_{3/2}$\,-\,$7\,^2$P$_{1/2}$ and $6\,^2$D$_{3/2}$\,-\,$7\,^2$P$_{3/2}$ transitions and the hyperfine structure constant of the $7\,^2$S$_{1/2}$ and $6\,^2$D$_{3/2}$ states in $^{213}$Ra$^+$ were measured. These values provide a benchmark for the required atomic theory. A lower limit of $232(4)$ ms for the lifetime of the metastable $6\,^2$D$_{5/2}$ state was measured by optical shelving.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2009

Production of short lived radioactive beams of radium

Short lived $^{212,213,214}$Ra isotopes have been produced at the TRI$μ$P facility in inverse kinematics via the fusion-evaporation reaction $^{206}$Pb+$^{12}$C at 8 MeV/u. Isotopes are separated from other reaction products online using the TRI$μ$P magnetic separator. The energetic radium (Ra) isotopes at the exit of the separator were converted into low energy ions with a thermal ionizer. Ra isotopes have been identified by observing their $α$ decay and life times.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2008

Development of a thermal ionizer as ion catcher

An effective ion catcher is an important part of a radioactive beam facility that is based on in-flight production. The catcher stops fast radioactive products and emits them as singly charged slow ions. Current ion catchers are based on stopping in He and H$_2$ gas. However, with increasing intensity of the secondary beam the amount of ion-electron pairs created eventually prevents the electromagnetic extraction of the radioactive ions from the gas cell. In contrast, such limitations are not present in thermal ionizers used with the ISOL production technique. Therefore, at least for alkaline and alkaline earth elements, a thermal ionizer should then be preferred. An important use of the TRI$μ$P facility will be for precision measurements using atom traps. Atom trapping is particularly possible for alkaline and alkaline earth isotopes. The facility can produce up to 10$^9$ s$^{-1}$ of various Na isotopes with the in-flight method. Therefore, we have built and tested a thermal ionizer. An overview of the operation, design, construction, and commissioning of the thermal ionizer for TRI$μ$P will be presented along with first results for $^{20}$Na and $^{21}$Na.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2008

Production and trapping of radioactive atoms at the TRI\muP facility

The structures for the TRI$μ$P facility have been completed and commissioned. At the facility radioactive nuclides are produced to study fundamental interactions and symmetries. An important feature is the possibility to trap radioactive atoms in order to obtain and hold a pure substrate-free sample for precision measurements. In the TRI$μ$P facility a production target is followed by a magnetic separator, where radioactive isotopes are produced in inverse reaction kinematics. Separation up to 99.95% could be achieved for $^{21}$Na. A novel transmitting thermal ionizing device was developed to stop the energetic isotopes. Some 50% of stopped $^{21}$Na could be extracted and transported as low energy singly charged ions into a radio frequency quadrupole cooler and buncher with 35% transmission efficiency. The ions are transported lossless via a drift tube and a low energy electrostatic beam line into the experimental setup. Such ions can be neutralized on hot metal foils and the resulting atoms can be stored in a magneto-optical trap. The functioning of that principle was demonstrated with stable Na extracted from the thermal ionizer, radioactive beams will follow next.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2006

Production of Radioactive Nuclides in Inverse Reaction Kinematics

Efficient production of short-lived radioactive isotopes in inverse reaction kinematics is an important technique for various applications. It is particularly interesting when the isotope of interest is only a few nucleons away from a stable isotope. In this article production via charge exchange and stripping reactions in combination with a magnetic separator is explored. The relation between the separator transmission efficiency, the production yield, and the choice of beam energy is discussed. The results of some exploratory experiments will be presented.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2006

Aspects of Cooling at the TRI$μ$P Facility

The Tri$μ$P facility at KVI is dedicated to provide short lived radioactive isotopes at low kinetic energies to users. It comprised different cooling schemes for a variety of energy ranges, from GeV down to the neV scale. The isotopes are produced using beam of the AGOR cyclotron at KVI. They are separated from the primary beam by a magnetic separator. A crucial part of such a facility is the ability to stop and extract isotopes into a low energy beamline which guides them to the experiment. In particular we are investigating stopping in matter and buffer gases. After the extraction the isotopes can be stored in neutral atoms or ion traps for experiments. Our research includes precision studies of nuclear $β$-decay through $β$-$ν$ momentum correlations as well as searches for permanent electric dipole moments in heavy atomic systems like radium. Such experiments offer a large potential for discovering new physics.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2006

Dual Magnetic Separator for TRI$μ$P

The TRI$μ$P facility, under construction at KVI, requires the production and separation of short-lived and rare isotopes. Direct reactions, fragmentation and fusion-evaporation reactions in normal and inverse kinematics are foreseen to produce nuclides of interest with a variety of heavy-ion beams from the superconducting cyclotron AGOR. For this purpose, we have designed, constructed and commissioned a versatile magnetic separator that allows efficient injection into an ion catcher, i.e., gas-filled stopper/cooler or thermal ionizer, from which a low energy radioactive beam will be extracted. The separator performance was tested with the production and clean separation of $^{21}$Na ions, where a beam purity of 99.5% could be achieved. For fusion-evaporation products, some of the features of its operation as a gas-filled recoil separator were tested.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2005

Constraints on the time-scale of nuclear breakup from thermal hard-photon emission

Measured hard photon multiplicities from second-chance nucleon-nucleon collisions are used in combination with a kinetic thermal model, to estimate the break-up times of excited nuclear systems produced in nucleus-nucleus reactions at intermediate energies. The obtained nuclear break-up time for the $^{129}${Xe} + $^{nat}${Sn} reaction at 50{\it A} MeV is $Δ$$τ$ $\approx$ 100 -- 300 fm/$c$ for all reaction centralities. The lifetime of the radiating sources produced in seven other different heavy-ion reactions studied by the TAPS experiment are consistent with $Δ$$τ$ $\approx$ 100 fm/$c$, such relatively long thermal photon emission times do not support the interpretation of nuclear breakup as due to a fast spinodal process for the heavy nuclear systems studied.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2005

Light cluster production in E/A = 61 MeV 36Ar + 112,124Sn reactions

Experimental kinetic energy distributions and small-angle two-particle correlation functions involving deuterons and tritons are compared for 36Ar+ 112,124Sn collisions at E/A = 61 MeV (i.e. for systems similar in size, but with different isospin content). A larger triton yield is observed from the more neutron-rich system, as predicted by IBUU simulations, while the emission times of the light clusters are found to be the same for the two Sn-target systems. For both systems, the time sequence tau_{d} < tau_{p} < tau_{t}, is deduced for charged particles emitted from the intermediate velocity source.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2005

Single atom detection of calcium isotopes by atom trap trace analysis

We demonstrate a combination of an isotopically purified atom beam and a magneto-optical trap which enables the single atom detection of all stable isotopes of calcium (40, 42, 43, 44, 46 and 48). These isotopes range in abundance from 96.9 % (40Ca) to 0.004 (46Ca). The trap is loaded from an atomic beam which is decelerated in a Zeeman slower and subsequently deflected over an angle of 30 degrees by optical molasses. The isotope selectivity of the Zeeman slower and the deflection stage is investigated experimentally and compared with Monte Carlo simulations.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2004

Analysis of charged particle emission sources and coalescence in E/A = 61 MeV $^{36}$Ar + $^{27}$Al, $^{112}$Sn and $^{124}$Sn collisions

Single-particle kinetic energy spectra and two-particle small angle correlations of protons ($p$), deuterons ($d$) and tritons ($t$) have been measured simultaneously in 61A MeV $^{36}$Ar + $^{27}$Al, $^{112}$Sn and $^{124}$Sn collisions. Characteristics of the emission sources have been derived from a ``source identification plot'' ($β_{source}$--$E_{CM}$ plot), constructed from the single-particle invariant spectra, and compared to the complementary results from two-particle correlation functions. Furthermore, the source identification plot has been used to determine the conditions when the coalescence mechanism can be applied for composite particles. In our data, this is the case only for the Ar + Al reaction, where $p$, $d$ and $t$ are found to originate from a common source of emission (from the overlap region between target and projectile). In this case, the coalescence model parameter, $\tilde{p}_0$ -- the radius of the complex particle emission source in momentum space, has been analyzed.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2003

Isospin effects on two-particle correlation functions in E/A = 61 MeV 36Ar + 112,124Sn reactions

Small-angle, two-particle correlation functions have been measured for 36Ar+ 112,124Sn collisions at E/A = 61 MeV. Total momentum gated neutron-proton (np) and proton-proton (pp) correlations are stronger for the 124Sn-target. Some of the correlation functions for particle pairs involving deuterons or tritons (nd, pt, and nt) also show a dependence on the isospin of the emitting source.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2003

Proton-decaying states in 22Mg and the nucleosynthesis of 22Na in novae

Populating states in 22Mg via the (p,t) reaction in inverse kinematics with a 55 MeV/nucleon 24Mg beam, we have measured the proton-decay branching ratios of the levels at 5.96 MeV and 6.05 MeV and obtained an experimental upper limit on the branching ratio of the 5.71 MeV state. On the basis of the present and previous measurements, we assign spins and parities to the 5.96 MeV and 6.05 MeV states. We combine our branching ratios with independent measurements of the lifetimes of these states or their 22Ne analogs to compute the resonance strengths and thereby the astrophysical rate of the 21Na(p,g)22Mg reaction. We perform hydrodynamic calculations of nova outbursts with this new rate and analyze its impact on 22Na yields.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2003

The astrophysical rate of 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne via the (p,t) reaction in inverse kinematics

A recoil coincidence technique has been applied to measure the alpha-decay branching ratios of near-threshold states in 19Ne. Populating these states using the (p,t) reaction in inverse kinematics, we detected the recoils and their decay products with 100% geometric efficiency using a magnetic spectrometer. Combining our branching ratio measurements with independent determinations of the radiative widths of these states, we calculate the astrophysical rate of 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne. Using this reaction rate, we perform hydrodynamic calculations of nova outbursts and conclude that no significant breakout from the hot CNO cycles into the rp process occurs in novae via 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2002

Alpha-decay branching ratios of near-threshold states in 19Ne and the astrophysical rate of 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne

The 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne reaction is one of two routes for breakout from the hot CNO cycles into the rp process in accreting neutron stars. Its astrophysical rate depends critically on the decay properties of excited states in 19Ne lying just above the 15O + alpha threshold. We have measured the alpha-decay branching ratios for these states using the p(21Ne,t)19Ne reaction at 43 MeV/u. Combining our measurements with previous determinations of the radiative widths of these states, we conclude that no significant breakout from the hot CNO cycle into the rp process in novae is possible via 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne, assuming current models accurately represent their temperature and density conditions.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2002

Thermal Bremsstrahlung photons probing the nuclear caloric curve

Hard-photon (E$_γ>$ 30 MeV) emission from second-chance nucleon-nucleon Bremsstrahlung collisions in intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions is studied employing a realistic thermal model. Photon spectra and yields measured in several nucleus-nucleus reactions are consistent with an emission from hot nuclear systems with temperatures $T\approx$ 4 - 7 MeV. The corresponding caloric curve in the region of excitation energies $ε^\star\approx$ 3{\it A} - 8{\it A} MeV shows lower values of $T$ than those expected for a Fermi fluid.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2001

Suppression of soft nuclear bremsstrahlung in proton-nucleus collisions

Photon energy spectra up to the kinematic limit have been measured in 190 MeV proton reactions with light and heavy nuclei to investigate the influence of the multiple-scattering process on the photon production. Relative to the predictions of models based on a quasi-free production mechanism a strong suppression of bremsstrahlung is observed in the low-energy region of the photon spectrum. We attribute this effect to the interference of photon amplitudes due to multiple scattering of nucleons in the nuclear medium.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2001

Hard photon and neutral pion production in cold nuclear matter

The production of hard photons and neutral pions in 190 MeV proton induced reactions on C, Ca, Ni, and W targets has been for the first time concurrently studied. Angular distributions and energy spectra up to the kinematical limit are discussed and the production cross-sections are presented. From the target mass dependence of the cross-sections the propagation of pions through nuclear matter is analyzed and the production mechanisms of hard photons and primordial pions are derived. It is found that the production of subthreshold particles proceeds mainly through first chance nucleon-nucleon collisions. For the most energetic particles the mass scaling evidences the effect of multiple collisions.

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