Wigner Crystals of {sup 229}Th for Optical Excitation of the Nuclear Isomer

Journal Article · Fri Jun 03 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.106.223001· OSTI ID:21538384

Campbell, C J; Radnaev, A G; Kuzmich, A ^[1]

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1. School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0430 (United States)

We have produced laser-cooled Wigner crystals of {sup 229}Th{sup 3+} in a linear Paul trap. The magnetic dipole (A) and electric quadrupole (B) hyperfine constants for four low-lying electronic levels and the relative isotope shifts with respect to {sup 232}Th{sup 3+} for three low-lying optical transitions are measured. Using the hyperfine B constants in conjunction with prior atomic structure calculations, a new value of the spectroscopic nuclear electric quadrupole moment Q=3.11(16) eb is deduced. These results are a step towards optical excitation of the low-lying isomer level in the {sup 229}Th nucleus.

• OSTI ID: 21538384
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 106; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CRYSTALS
DIPOLES
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXCITATION
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERS
ISOTOPES
LASERS
MAGNETIC DIPOLES
MULTIPOLES
NUCLEI
QUADRUPOLE MOMENTS
RADIOISOTOPES
SPECTRAL SHIFT
THORIUM 229
THORIUM ISOTOPES
TRAPS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES