Precision mass measurements of neutron halo nuclei using the TITAN Penning trap
Abstract
Precise atomic mass determinations play a key role in various fields of physics, including nuclear physics, testing of fundamental symmetries and constants and atomic physics. Recently, the TITAN Penning trap measured the masses of several neutron halos. These exotic systems have an extended, diluted, matter distribution that can be modelled by considering a nuclear core surrounded by a halo formed by one or more of loosely bound neutrons. Combined with laser spectroscopy measurements of isotopic shifts precise masses can be used to obtain reliable charge radii and two-neutron-seperation energies for these halo nuclei. It is shown that these results can be used as stringent tests of nuclear models and potentials providing an important metric for our understanding of the interactions in all nuclei.