Exotic isotopes step on the scale
Friday, September 6, 2013 - 10:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Elements heavier than iron are believed to have formed in supernovae or merging neutron stars through a series of complex nuclear reactions. Nuclear physicists are working to recreate these reactions by performing simulations, but such studies rely on highly precise masses for the relevant isotopes—many of which can only be created using high-energy accelerators. Michiharu Wada and colleagues from the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science in Wako have now demonstrated the utility of a new mass spectrograph at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) for measuring the masses of short-lived exotic isotopes.