Study of weak interaction in β-decay
Experiments at ISOLDE study low-energy beta decays of specific radioactive isotopes produced and separated at ISOLDE, which are sensitive to the structure and properties of electroweak interactions. The experiments are performed using several different setups, which employ different experimental methods.
The experiment WISArD measures beta-delayed proton decay of the 32Ar isotope. The experimental apparatus consists of a cryostat with a superconducting 9T magnet and a specialized system of particle detectors. The nuclei decaying by proton decay are moving, because of the recoil obtained in the previous beta decay. Precise measurement of the Doppler deformed beta-delayed proton spectrum enables us to investigate the shape of energy spectrum of recoiling ions after the beta decay which is sensitive to the possible admixture of (Standard Model forbidden) scalar component of weak interaction.
The specialized beamline VITO enables us to polarize ion beams from ISOLDE using “optical pumping” by lasers. After the ions are implanted into a substrate placed in strong a magnetic field (1.5T), experiments with oriented nuclei can be performed, e.g. the measurement of the angular distribution of radiation emitted by the beta decay of oriented 35Ar.
Scientists:
RNDr. Dalibor Zákoucký, CSc. (zakoucky@ujf.cas.cz)