A dye laser-cryogenic helium jet system and recoil-mass-separator for studies of nuclei far from stability

Most of the recent applications of lasers to on-line measurements of hyperfine interactions and isotope shifts have been made using high energy proton beams to produce large fluxes of a wide range of unstable atoms. On-line mass separators select the atomic species of interest. At NSRL the authors have in the final stages of development an on-line laser spectroscopy system for the upgraded MP tandem. The system is based on the use of more selective heavy-ion reactions so that mass separation is not usually required, and very sensitive detection techniques so that measurements are possible with small fluxes of atoms. A recoil mass separator is also near completion and will be used for a variety of studies of nuclei far from stability, including providing, when necessary, mass separated reaction products for study using the laser system. The heavy ion beam energy available from the upgraded MP allows production of neutron deficient nuclei by means of fusion-evaporation reactions that is limited only by the onset of charge particle evaporation, not beam energy. (5 refs).