[en] Today a variety of powerful techniques exist for direct mass measurements of unstable isotopes. This paper gives an overview of the most modern approaches, which enable us to investigate with high accuracy nuclear binding energies in regions very far from the valley of β-stability

[en] Accurate masses of radioactive nuclides are important for a better understanding of nuclear structure, as input for the modelling of element synthesis in nuclear astrophysics and for fundamental tests of the weak interaction. Today, a variety of techniques exists for direct mass measurements of unstable nuclides. A very powerful approach is the employment of Penning traps. Penning trap mass spectrometry offers unprecedented accuracy, and is now applied to nuclides with half-lives well below a tenth of a second and produced only in minute quantities. This paper discusses specific aspects of Penning trap mass spectrometry on rare isotopes and gives an overview of on-going activities. This includes LEBIT, a new project at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University

[en] NSCL is a national user facility with a mission to provide beams of rare isotopes for researchers from around the world. Presently, a rare-isotope beam can only be delivered to one experimental end station. The Helium-Jet Ion Guide System (HJ-IGS) project is aimed at delivering a second radioactive ion beam to another end station by collecting rare isotopes that are not delivered to the primary user. This will be done by thermalizing rare isotopes in a stopping cell placed at suitable focal plane(s) off the ion-optical axis of the A1900 fragment separator

[en] NSCL is funded by the National Science Foundation to be a national user facility with a mission to provide beams of rare isotopes for researchers from around the world. Hundreds of users come to Michigan State University each year to take advantage of the Laboratory's facilities and explore the nature of nuclear forces that bind nucleons into nuclei and the role of nuclei in the universe

[en] The ReA re-accelerator of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University utilizes an Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) for charge breeding thermalized rare isotope beams. Recent commissioning measurements have been performed to characterize the performance of this EBIT. The energy spread of extracted highly charged ion beams was measured to be about 0.3% of the total beam energy. From this, the temperature of the ion ensemble in the trap is calculated to be kT_q/q = 31eV for O⁷⁺, while it is kT_q/q = 25eV for K¹⁵⁺. In addition initial results are presented for two extraction schemes developed to spread highly charged ion pulses in time

[en] The Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University is used as a charge booster and injector for the currently commissioned rare isotope re-accelerator facility ReA. This EBIT charge breeder is equipped with a unique superconducting magnet configuration, a combination of a solenoid and a pair of Helmholtz coils, allowing for a direct observation of the ion cloud while maintaining the advantages of a long ion trapping region. The current density of its electron beam is a key factor for efficient capture and fast charge breeding of continuously injected, short-lived isotope beams. It depends on the radius of the magnetically compressed electron beam. This radius is measured by imaging the highly charged ion cloud trapped within the electron beam with a pinhole camera, which is sensitive to X-rays emitted by the ions with photon energies between 2 keV and 10 keV. The 80%-radius of a cylindrical 800 mA electron beam with an energy of 15 keV is determined to be r_80%=(212±19)μm in a 4 T magnetic field. From this, a current density of j = (454 ± 83)A/cm² is derived. These results are in good agreement with electron beam trajectory simulations performed with TriComp and serve as a test for future electron gun design developments

[en] The planned rare isotope accelerator facility RIA in the US would become the most powerful radioactive beam facility in the world. RIA's driver accelerator will be a device capable of providing beams from protons to uranium at energies of at least 400MeV per nucleon, with beam power up to 400 kW. Radioactive beam production relies on both the in-flight separation of fast beam fragments and on the ISOL technique. In both cases the high beam power poses major challenges for target technology and handling and on the design of the beam production areas. This paper will give a brief overview of RIA and discuss aspects of ongoing conceptual design work for the RIA target areas

[en] Nuclear structure and astrophysics studies rely heavily on precision mass measurements of rare isotopes. However, many of these isotopes far from the valley of stability can only be produced at very low rates, which are incompatible with the destructive measurement techniques used by rare isotope Penning trap mass spectrometry facilities. To this end, the Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap facility at the National Superconducting Laboratory is in the process of commissioning a single ion Penning trap (SIPT) mass spectrometer that relies on the non-destructive narrowband Fourier Transform ion cyclotron resonance technique. SIPT is the first Penning trap designed to perform mass measurements of rare isotopes produced via projectile fragmentation at rates on the order of one ion per day. The system details and cryogenic detection design, as well as results from the room and cryogenic temperature commissioning, are discussed at length.

[en] The upcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at Michigan State University provides a new opportunity to access some of the world’s most specialized scientific resources: radioisotopes. An excess of useful radioisotopes will be formed as FRIB fulfills its basic science mission of providing rare isotope beams. In order for the FRIB beams to reach high-purity, many of the isotopes are discarded and go unused. If harvested, the unused isotopes could enable new research for diverse applications ranging from medical therapy and diagnosis to nuclear security. Given that FRIB will have the capability to create about 80% of all possible atomic nuclei, harvesting at FRIB will provide a fast path for access to a vast array of isotopes of interest in basic and applied science investigations. To fully realize this opportunity, infrastructure investment is required to enable harvesting and purification of otherwise unused isotopes. An investment in isotope harvesting at FRIB will provide a powerful resource for development of crucial isotope applications. In 2010, the United States Department of Energy Office of Science, Nuclear Physics, sponsored the first ‘Workshop on Isotope Harvesting at FRIB’, convening researchers from diverse fields to discuss the scientific impact and technical feasibility of isotope harvesting. Following the initial meeting, a series of biennial workshops was organized. At the fourth workshop, at Michigan State University in 2016, the community elected to prepare a formal document to present their findings. This report is the output of the working group, drawing on contributions and discussions with a broad range of scientific experts. (major report)

[en] Experiments with reaccelerated beams are an essential component of the science program of existing and future rare isotope beam facilities. NSCL is currently constructing ReA3, a reaccelerator for rare isotopes that have been produced by projectile fragmentation and in-flight fission and that have been thermalized in a gas stopper. The resulting low-energy beam will be brought to an Electron Beam Ion Source/Trap (EBIS/T) in order to obtain highly charged ions at an energy of 12 keV/u. This charge breeder is followed by a compact linear accelerator with a maximum beam energy of 3MeV/u for U-238 and higher energies for lighter isotopes. Next-generation rare isotope beam facilities like the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams FRIB, but also existing Isotope Separator On-line (ISOL) facilities are expected to provide rare-isotope beam rates in the order of 10(11) particles per second for reacceleration. At present the most promising scheme to efficiently start the reacceleration of these intense beams is the use of a next-generation high-current charge-breeder based on an EBIS/T. MSU has formed a collaboration to develop an EBIT for this purpose. A new high-current EBIS/T breeder will be developed and constructed at MSU, where also first tests on achievable beam rate capability will be performed. The EBIT is planned to be installed at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator facility ISAC at TRIUMF laboratory for on-line tests with rare isotope beams and to provide intense energetic reaccelerated radioactive beams. The status of the ReA3-EBIS/T in the NSCL reaccelerator project is given with a brief summary of results, followed by a discussion of plans for the future high-intensity EBIS/T charge breeder.