Magneto-optic trapping of radioactive ^38mK, ^37K
Abstract
We have begun a program to capture radioactive alkali isotopes produced copiously at the TRIUMF cyclotron's on-line separator TISOL in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), in order to test weak interaction symmetries by β-decay experiments and atomic spectroscopy. We have trapped 2000 atoms of 0.925sec ^38mK and 700 atoms of 1.226sec ^37K in a vapor-cell MOT. We have measured the isotope shifts in the D2 line by displacing the atoms in the trap with a probe beam, and deduced the nuclear charge radii. Combined neutralization and trapping efficiency is ≈ 1 x 10-4 trapped atoms per ion/sec injected from the 12keV TISOL beam. Our short-term goal is to improve production and efficiency to enable β-decay experiments, beginning with a search for non-Standard Model scalar contributions in the β ^+-ν correlation in the 0^+ arrow 0^+ Fermi decay of ^38mK. The trap provides a backing-free, localized source of atoms; β ^+-Ar^+ recoil coincidences will be measured to deduce the neutrino momenta. Supported in part by NSERC
- Publication:
-
APS Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 1996
- Bibcode:
- 1996APS..MAY.E1010B