Nuclear structure of the transactinides – investigated by decay spectroscopy

Superheavy elements owe their stability due to a subtle balance between the disruptive Coulomb force and the attractive nuclear forces. Thus they represent an ideal laboratory to study basic interactions. The essential tools are detailed investigations of radioactive decay properties and nuclear structure of superheavy nuclei. The results of those studies will deliver valuable input to improve theoretical models. To fulfill this demand conclusive data of high quality are necessary, which is presently not so easy to meet due to small production cross sections and technical limitations (beam intensities, detection probabilities). Possibilities and problems concerning extraction of decay properties and nuclear structure information on the basis of a low number of observed decay events will be discussed for three illustrative examples, 257Rf, 257Lr, and 288Fl

Impact of buffer gas quenching on the S-1(0) -> P-1(1) ground-state atomic transition in nobelium

International audienceUsing the sensitive Radiation Detected Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (RADRIS) techniquean optical transition in neutral nobelium (No, Z = 102) was identified. A remnant signal when delaying the ionizing laser indicated the influence of a strong buffer gas induced de-excitation of the optically populated level. A subsequent investigation of the chemical homologue, ytterbium (Yb, Z = 70), enabled a detailed study of the atomic levels involved in this process, leading to the development of a rate equation model. This paves the way for characterizing resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS) schemes used in the studyof nobelium and beyond, where atomic properties are currently unknown