A laser ablation ion source has been developed and implemented at the Low-Energy Beam and Ion Trap (LEBIT) facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. This offline ion source enhances the capabilities of LEBIT by providing increased access to ions used for calibration measurements and checks of systematic effects as well as stable and long-lived ions of scientific interest. The design of the laser ablation ion source and a demonstration of its successful operation are presented.
Determination of the direct double-β decay Q value of 96 Zr and atomic masses of [90][91][92]94,96 Experimental searches for the neutrinoless double-β decay offer one of the best opportunities to look for physics beyond the Standard Model. Detecting this decay would confirm the Majorana nature of the neutrino, and a measurement of its half-life can be used to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale. Important to both tasks is an accurate knowledge of the Q value of the double-β decay. The LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometer was used for the first direct experimental determination of the 96 Zr double-β decay Q value: Q ββ = 3355.85 (15) keV. This value is nearly 7 keV larger than the 2012 atomic mass evaluation [Chin. Phys. C 36, 1603 (2012)
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.