Experiments with the TITAN mass measurement system

原子核的质量是许多天体系统最基本的特性之一。质量的精确知识为检验和完善先进的核理论和模型提供了条件，并促进了它们的进一步改进。质量是核衰变弱相互作用研究测试的关键因素，也是极端情况下核结构敏感测试的关键因素。此外，在核天体物理学领域，原子质量是理解宇宙中铁以外元素合成的必要条件。多年来，人们一直在努力精确地确定质量，但随着放射性束流耦合离子阱（RIB）设备的出现，该领域发生了革命性的变化。到目前为止，大多数RIB设施都有基于离子阱的质量测量系统，其中最先进的质量测量设施之一是TITAN。

The mass of the atomic nucleus is one of the most fundamental properties of such many body systems. Precise knowledge of masses provides for testing and refining of advanced nuclear theory and models and stimulate their further improvements. Masses are key ingredient in the tests of weak interaction studies in nuclear beta-decay, and for sensitive tests of nuclear structure at the extremes. Moreover, in the field of nuclear astro-physics, atomic masses are needed for an understanding of the synthesis of the elements beyond iron in the universe. There has been substantial effort to determine masses accurate and precise for many year, but with the advent of coupling ion traps to radioactive beam (RIB) facilities, the field has been revolutionized. By now most RIB facilities have ion trap based mass measurement systems, and one of the most advanced facilities for mass measurements is TITAN.