Precision measurements of atomic and nuclear properties (MVSpec)

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This lecture is intended for both bachelor and master students. The lecture will be held in English.

The lecture begins on Wed., 14. October 2026, at 11:15.

There are two hours lecture (Wed. 11:15-12:45, INF 227 / SR 3.404) and one hour tutorial (Wed. 12:45-13:30, INF 227 / SR 3.404). We start with a preliminary discussion, among others about the course certificate regulations.

This course introduces the principles and applications of laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for the study of radioactive nuclei and exotic systems. Starting from the basic atomic and nuclear physics required to understand binding energies, hyperfine structure and isotope shifts, the course develops the connection between measured spectra and nuclear ground-state properties such as masses, spin, magnetic dipole moments, electric quadrupole moments, and charge radii.

The course then discusses the detection of neutral and charged particles as well as the production and preparation of radioactive beams, including the ISOL and IGISOL methods, ion sources, mass separation, beam cooling, bunching, and purification. Laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques are introduced, including in-source laser spectroscopy, collinear laser spectroscopy, collinear resonant ionization spectroscopy, reionization techniques and radioactive detection methods as well as Penning-trap and storage-ring mass spectrometry.

The final part of the course focuses on the interpretation of nuclear moments and charge radii in terms of shell evolution, deformation, shape coexistence, and changes in magic numbers far from stability. Selected case studies from light nuclei, the calcium region, nuclei around Z/N = 50, and heavy nuclei around Z = 82 and N = 126 are discussed. For precision mass measurements applications in nuclear structure studies, neutrino physics and tests of fundamental interactions and their symmetries will be discussed.

Planned content:

14.10.2026
Introduction: Welcome and background information
1. Foundation of mass spectrometry and atomic/nuclear binding energies

21.10.2026 and 28.10.2026
2. Foundations of laser spectroscopy and nuclear ground-state properties

04.11.2026
3. Detection of neutral and charged particles

11.11.2026
4. Production and preparation of radioactive beams

18.11.2026 and 25.11.2026
5. Mass spectrometry methods in ion traps and storage rings

02.12.2026
6. Laser spectroscopy methods for radioactive nuclei

09.12.2026
7. Precision mass measurements of the building blocks of matter and in the light ion mass region

16.12.2026
8. Laser spectroscopy in the light-mass region

13.01.2027
9. What we learn from electromagnetic moments and charge radii

20.01.2027
10. Case studies across the nuclear chart

27.01.2027
11. Precision mass measurements for tests of fundamental symmetries

03.02.2027
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