High Accuracy Atomic Mass Measurements:. Application to Neutron-Rich Zirconium Isotopes

The relevance of precision measurements on nuclear ground states is discussed in the frame of current experimental developments. Cooling and trapping techniques of low-energy radioactive ion beams are shortly presented with emphasis on high-precision measurements on the ground state properties of exotic nuclei. The impact of the new generation Penning traps on mass measurements of short-lived nuclei is discussed. Examples of recent precision measurements of masses of very neutron-rich isotopes of zirconium and rhodium are given. Possible impacts of nuclear structure calculations such as the Interacting Boson Model on understanding the fine structure of the mass surface are discussed.