Superconducting Ring Cyclotron
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Strongest beam in the world enables scientists to explore laws governing all matter in the universe
A beam 100 times stronger than any other in the world has allowed an international research group headed by the researchers from the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science (RNC) to demonstrate in only eight hours what it would take other scientists more than six months to achieve. It is the first big experimental achievement using the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory (RIBF) at RNC.
The team show that a neutron rich isotope of neon has a highly deformed shape and therefore lies in a mysterious region of the nuclear chart.
Their beam fires at 60 per cent the speed of light and has enabled the exploration of this region where standard laws of nuclear physics break down. Populated by highly unstable neutron-rich isotopes, this region, known as the 'Island of Inversion', is thought to offer clues about underlying laws governing all matter in the universe.
The neutron-rich isotope of neon-32 was produced by accelerating calcium-48 in a powerful superconducting ring cyclotron at RNC. It has a highly deformed shape, confirming that it lies within the Island of Inversion.
Deformation was determined via the measurement of excitation levels, by exposing a carbon target to a high-intensity beam of Neon-32 and measuring nuclear reaction products and de-excitation gamma rays.
The research is published in this week’s Physical Review Letters
In the future, the power of the RIBF high-intensity beams promises to generate exciting new results on unstable neutron-rich nuclear isotopes, broadening our understanding of nuclear physics.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Attached picture is of a Superconducting Ring Cyclotron at the facility
The international team of scientists are from the following institutions:
RIKEN ( Japan), Peking University (China), Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan), GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH (Germany), Technische Universität München (Germany), Université de Caen (France), Saitama University (Japan), Rikkyo University (Japan), University of Tokyo (Japan), Tokyo University of Science (Japan)
For more information, please contact
Dr. Scheit Heiko
Dr. Hiroyoshi Sakurai
Radioactive Isotope Physics Laboratory
RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science
[email protected]
[email protected]
Tel: +81-(0)48-467-4920 / fax +81-(0)48-462-4464
Ms. Saeko Okada (PI officer)
Global Relations Office
RIKEN
Tel: +81-(0)48-462-1225 / Fax: +81-(0)48-467-9443
Mail: [email protected]
