Speaker
Description
Of the approximately 7,000 nuclei predicted by nuclear models, fewer than half have had their mass measured experimentally. Many of the remaining nuclei are highly unstable and difficult to produce. Precise mass measurements play a crucial role in nuclear structure studies and nucleosynthesis modelling, and require advanced instrumentation to reach the most exotic isotopes.
At the DESIR facility at GANIL, radioactive nuclei will be provided both by the S3 low-energy branch, delivering heavy, neutron-deficient nuclei via fusion-evaporation reactions, and by SPIRAL1, producing light, neutron-rich isotopes through fragmentation. The Exotic Nuclei group at LP2iB is developing PIPERADE, a double Penning trap dedicated to high-resolution purification and precise mass measurements of exotic nuclei.
I will present the current status of PIPERADE, which is currently undergoing offline commissioning at LP2iB in Bordeaux. While the Time-of-Flight Ion-Cyclotron Resonance (ToF-ICR) technique is already well established and has yielded promising results, current efforts are focused on the implementation and optimization of the Phase-Imaging Ion-Cyclotron Resonance (PI-ICR) method. The current level of precision achieved will be presented. Although PI-ICR is a well-established technique, its deployment at PIPERADE requires careful tuning of the trap configuration and beamline parameters to meet performance expectations. Some of the encountered and resolved issues will also be discussed during the presentation.
The setup is scheduled to be relocated to the DESIR facility in 2027, with first on-line experiments planned for 2028. These developments will pave the way for precise mass measurements at DESIR, extending the accessible range of exotic nuclei and contributing to the facility’s scientific programme.
| Academic level | PhD student |
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