Experimental investigations of nuclear structure provide a probe to study the strong nuclear force, many properties of which still remain unknown. One powerful way to experimentally investigate nuclear structure is through the mass of the atomic nucleus, as it reveals the binding energy of the nucleus.
In this work, mass measurements of Mg and Na isotopes are carried out and the results indicate, for the first time, a gradual re-emergence of magicity or closed shell behavior for Z ≤ 11 nuclei at the N = 20 island of inversion. The results also discover a previously unknown low-lying isomer, hence a long-lived excited state in 32Na.
Beyond studies of nuclear structure via direct mass measurements, this thesis describes the technical developments and improvements to the Measurement Penning Trap (MPET). The Penning trap, an experimental apparatus that uses electric and magnetic fields to determine the atomic mass through the ion’s cyclotron frequency, has been upgraded to operate at cryogenic temperatures with the goal to reach storage times on the order of seconds for Highly-Charged Ions. The aim for this upgrade is an improvement of the achievable precision by an order of magnitude.
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2023-07-28T09:00:002023-07-28T12:00:00Resurrecting the N = 20 island of inversion and upgrades to the TITAN measurement Penning trapEvent Information:
Experimental investigations of nuclear structure provide a probe to study the strong nuclear force, many properties of which still remain unknown. One powerful way to experimentally investigate nuclear structure is through the mass of the atomic nucleus, as it reveals the binding energy of the nucleus.
In this work, mass measurements of Mg and Na isotopes are carried out and the results indicate, for the first time, a gradual re-emergence of magicity or closed shell behavior for Z ≤ 11 nuclei at the N = 20 island of inversion. The results also discover a previously unknown low-lying isomer, hence a long-lived excited state in 32Na.
Beyond studies of nuclear structure via direct mass measurements, this thesis describes the technical developments and improvements to the Measurement Penning Trap (MPET). The Penning trap, an experimental apparatus that uses electric and magnetic fields to determine the atomic mass through the ion’s cyclotron frequency, has been upgraded to operate at cryogenic temperatures with the goal to reach storage times on the order of seconds for Highly-Charged Ions. The aim for this upgrade is an improvement of the achievable precision by an order of magnitude.Event Location:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/67853605007?pwd=Y0JrQkZJdlFvb0NRc29PcWVBdWsvdz09