Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Research Tools and Instruments

Atomic mass measurements open a wide field for nuclear science, including the understanding of the nuclear force, which is responsibly for holding atoms together, or making them fall apart (like in a decay). TITAN is currently one of the most precise and fastest mass measurement systems in the World. Moreover, it is one of only a few coupled to so-called radioactive beam facilities, where nuclei with very unusual properties can be synthesized. However, the production process also lead often to the unintentional generation of similar nuclei, which effect then the measurement negatively, as unambiguous identifications become cumbersome. Ideally, the experiments are carried out on isolated nuclei, one at a time.The here requested funds will allow us to set up a multi-reflection time-of-flight separator (Multi-R-TOF)system, capable of providing clean and selected beams to the TITAN ion trap system, used for precision mass measurements and double-beta decay experiments. The Multi-R-TOF has been built at our collaboration partner, University Giessen, Germany, and will come to TRIUMF summer 2013. The device will enhance significantly the reach and capabilities of TITAN, and will be essential for most future experiments, by providing a resolving power of 500,000.