Resonance ionization mass spectroscopy

激光共振电离质谱仪(RIMS)是一种现代分析技术，在环境分析、激光同位素分离、元素超痕量分析等领域有着广泛的应用。RIMS通过几个能级激发原子的价电子，直到它被剥离。这样，原子就变成了带电粒子，很容易被电场操纵。 RIMS技术的功率来源于共振激光激发的元素选择性和现代分离器的质量选择性。因此，一种高选择性、高灵敏度的仪器应运而生--这正是研究和选择性提取TRIUMF同位素分离器和加速器ISAC设施生产的微量短期稀有同位素所需的。在ISAC，更高的电离效率和更高的选择性直接导致对核参数的更短、更精确的测量。这些核子量是进入亚原子物理世界的窗口。 RIMS计划培训研究生高分辨率和精确的激光光谱分析技术，以及核物理专业知识。将为至少10种元素制定有效的激光激发方案，这些元素到目前为止还无法接触到或需要高功率、非特定的激光源来进行电离。这可以通过共振电离光谱研究大多数未知的自动电离(AI)原子态来实现。AI极大地降低了电离所需的激光功率，并增加了另一种独特的激发阶跃电离方案。对于许多元素来说，电离效率有望提高一个数量级。 第一个被研究的元素将是Astatine--地球上最稀有的元素，但它是由ISAC生产的。激光激发方案的成功开发将使加拿大国家核物理和粒子物理实验室(TRIUMF)保持领先地位，提供可用的最强烈和最奇异的稀有同位素光束。这将吸引世界上最好的核物理和粒子物理学团体继续来到温哥华，寻求关于物质内在构成的答案。

Laser Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) is a modern technique, which finds most of its practical applications in environmental, laser isotope separation or elemental ultra-trace analysis. RIMS excites the valence electron of an atom through several energy levels until it is stripped. The atom thus turns into a charged particle, which is easily be manipulated by electric fields. The power of the RIMS technique stems from the element selectivity of resonant laser excitation combined with the mass selectivity of modern separators. As a result a highly selective, yet highly sensitive instrument is at hand - exactly what is needed to investigate and selectively extract the minute quantities of short-lived, rare-isotopes produced at TRIUMF's Isotope Separator and Accelerator ISAC facility. At ISAC, higher ionization efficiency and higher selectivity transpire directly into shorter, yet more precise measurements of nuclear parameters. These nuclear quantities are the window into the world of subatomic physics. The RIMS program trains graduate students in high-resolution and precision laser spectroscopy techniques, along with nuclear physics expertise. Effective laser excitation schemes are to be developed for at least 10 elements that so far have not been accessible or required high powered, un-specific laser sources for ionization. This can be achieved by investigating the mostly uncharted auto-ionizing (AI) atomic states by resonance ionization spectroscopy. The AI greatly reduce the laser power required for ionization and add another unique excitation step ionization scheme. For many elements an order of magnitude improvement in ionization efficiency is expected. The first element to be investigated will be Astatine - the rarest of all elements on earth, yet, it is produced at ISAC. A successful development of laser excitation schemes will keep Canada's National Laboratory for Nuclear and Particle Physics: TRIUMF in the lead by providing the most intense and most exotic rare isotope beams available. This will attract the best groups world wide in nuclear and particle physics to continue to come to Vancouver in their quest for answers on the inner makings of matter.