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Mikael Reponen

Publications and source records attributed to Mikael Reponen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

High-precision measurement of the atomic mass of $^{84}$Sr and implications to isotope shift studies

The absolute mass of $^{84}$Sr was determined using the phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance technique with the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap mass spectrometer. A more precise value for the mass of $^{84}$Sr is essential for providing potential indications of physics beyond the Standard Model through high-precision isotope shift measurements of Sr atomic transition frequencies. The mass excess of $^{84}$Sr was refined to be -80649.229(37) keV/c$^2$ from high-precision cyclotron-frequency-ratio measurements with a relative precision of 4.8$\times$10$^{-10}$. The obtained mass-excess value is in agreement with the adopted value in the Atomic Mass Evaluation 2020, but is 30 times more precise. With this new value, we confirm the previously observed nonlinearity in the study of the isotope shift of strontium. Moreover, the double-beta ($2\beta^{+}$) decay $Q$ value of $^{84}$Sr was directly determined to be 1790.115(37) keV, and the precision was improved by a factor of 30.

nucl-ex

High-precision mass measurements of neutron deficient silver isotopes probe the robustness of the $N$ = 50 shell closure

High-precision mass measurements of exotic $^{95-97}$Ag isotopes close to the $N = Z$ line have been conducted with the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap mass spectrometer, with the silver ions produced using the recently commissioned inductively-heated hot cavity catcher laser ion source at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility. The atomic mass of $^{95}$Ag was directly determined for the first time. In addition, the atomic masses of $\beta$-decaying 2$^+$ and 8$^+$ states in $^{96}$Ag have been identified and measured for the first time, and the precision of the $^{97}$Ag mass has been improved. The newly measured masses, with a precision of $\approx$ 1 keV/c$^2$, have been used to investigate the $N =$ 50 neutron shell closure confirming it to be robust. Empirical shell-gap and pairing energies determined with the new ground-state mass data are compared with the state-of-the-art \textit{ab initio} calculations with various chiral effective field theory Hamiltonians. The precise determination of the excitation energy of the $^{96m}$Ag isomer in particular serves as a benchmark for \textit{ab initio} predictions of nuclear properties beyond the ground state, specifically for odd-odd nuclei situated in proximity to the proton dripline below $^{100}$Sn. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and configuration-interaction shell-model (CISM) calculations are compared with the experimental results. All theoretical approaches face challenges to reproduce the trend of nuclear ground-state properties in the silver isotopic chain across the $N =$50 neutron shell and toward the proton drip-line.

nucl-ex

RAPTOR: a new collinear laser ionization spectroscopy and laser-radiofrequency double-resonance experiment at the IGISOL facility

RAPTOR, Resonance ionization spectroscopy And Purification Traps for Optimized spectRoscopy, is a new collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy device constructed at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility at the University of Jyv\"askyl\"a, Finland. By operating at beam energies of under 10 keV, the footprint of the experiment is reduced compared to more traditional collinear laser spectroscopy beamlines. In addition, RAPTOR is coupled to the JYFLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer, opening a window to laser-assisted nuclear-state selective purification, serving not only the mass measurement program, but also supporting post-trap decay spectroscopy experiments. Finally, the low-energy ion beams used for RAPTOR will enable high-precision laser-radiofrequency double-resonance experiments, resulting in spectroscopy with linewidths below 1 MHz. In this contribution, the technical layout of RAPTOR and a selection of ion-beam optical simulations for the device are presented, along with a discussion of the current status of the commissioning experiments.

physics.ins-det

Opportunities for Fundamental Physics Research with Radioactive Molecules

Molecules containing short-lived, radioactive nuclei are uniquely positioned to enable a wide range of scientific discoveries in the areas of fundamental symmetries, astrophysics, nuclear structure, and chemistry. Recent advances in the ability to create, cool, and control complex molecules down to the quantum level, along with recent and upcoming advances in radioactive species production at several facilities around the world, create a compelling opportunity to coordinate and combine these efforts to bring precision measurement and control to molecules containing extreme nuclei. In this manuscript, we review the scientific case for studying radioactive molecules, discuss recent atomic, molecular, nuclear, astrophysical, and chemical advances which provide the foundation for their study, describe the facilities where these species are and will be produced, and provide an outlook for the future of this nascent field.

nucl-ex

The electron affinity of astatine

One of the most important properties influencing the chemical behavior of an element is the energy released with the addition of an extra electron to the neutral atom, referred to as the electron affinity (EA). Among the remaining elements with unknown EA is astatine, the purely radioactive element 85. Astatine is the heaviest naturally occurring halogen and its isotope $^{211}$At is remarkably well suited for targeted radionuclide therapy of cancer. With the At$^-$ anion being involved in many aspects of current astatine labelling protocols, the knowledge of the electron affinity of this element is of prime importance. In addition, the EA can be used to deduce other concepts such as the electronegativity, thereby further improving the understanding of astatine's chemistry. Here, we report the first measurement of the EA for astatine to be 2.41578(7)eV. This result is compared to state-of-the-art relativistic quantum mechanical calculations, which require incorporation of the electron-electron correlation effects on the highest possible level. The developed technique of laser-photodetachment spectroscopy of radioisotopes opens the path for future EA measurements of other radioelements such as polonium, and eventually super-heavy elements, which are produced at a one-atom-at-a-time rate.

physics.atom-ph