An alternative approach to populate and study the ${}^{229}$Th nuclear clock isomer

Abstract

A new approach to observe the radiative decay of the ${}^{229}$Th nuclear isomer, and to determine its energy and radiative lifetime, is presented. Situated at a uniquely low excitation energy, this nuclear state might be a key ingredient for the development of a nuclear clock, a nuclear laser and the search for time variations of the fundamental constants. The isomer's $\gamma$ decay towards the ground state will be studied with a high-resolution VUV spectrometer after its production by the $\beta$ decay of ${}^{229}$Ac. The novel production method presents a number of advantages asserting its competitive nature with respect to the commonly used ${}^{233}$U $\alpha$-decay recoil source. In this paper, a feasibility analysis of this new concept, and an experimental investigation of its key ingredients, using a pure ${}^{229}$Ac ion beam produced at the ISOLDE radioactive beam facility, is reported.

arXiv comment11 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables

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Cited by in corpus (10)

• Observation of the radiative decay of the ${}^{229}\mathrm{Th}$ nuclear clock isomer
• Opportunities for Fundamental Physics Research with Radioactive Molecules
• The ${}^{229}$Th isomer: prospects for a nuclear optical clock
• Recent progress in laser spectroscopy of the actinides
• Concepts for direct frequency-comb spectroscopy of ${}^{229\text{m}}$Th and an internal-conversion-based solid-state nuclear clock
• Recollision induced nuclear excitation of ${}^{229}$Th
• Radiative Decay of the ${}^{229m}$Th Nuclear Clock Isomer in Different Host Materials
• Detection of missing low-lying atomic states in actinium
• Studies of thorium and ytterbium ion trap loading from laser ablation for gravity monitoring with nuclear clocks
• Production and chemical separation of ${}^{229}$Pa toward observation of $\gamma$ rays of ${}^{229\mathrm{m}}$Th