Minutes from the ISOLDE Physics Group meeting on May 25^th, 2016

No comments to last week’s physics group meeting minutes.

Technical news

• Target area:
  
  • Both separators were working at the same time, taking advantage of very low intensity proton beam on GPS (stagISO) on metal targets.
• GPS:
  
  • Tin target #514 for solid state physics.     
  • Target heating still dropping due to ramping cards issues.
    • Target drops and is forced to stay cold in software. Users are expected to ramp back up gently.
• HRS:
  
  • ZrO target for selenium carbon monoxide molecular beams for TAS physics.
  • Beams were dominated by germanium sulfide contaminants.
    • Sulfur contamination traced back to the sulfur mass marker.
    • Users happy with physics output from germanium TAS measurement.
  • Users reported large transmission differences between stable and radioactive argon beams in continuous mode.
    •  After investigation it was found different ion source settings are to blame (change of anode voltage without retuning HRS separator)
• General ISOLDE:
  
  • Vacuum teams agreed to modify RC3 (TAS) vacuum interlocks to account for fluctuations due to the TAS tape operations.
  • RC3 faraday cup was found that it was not integrated in the pressurized air control system. Now repaired and integrated.
  • Machine development days have been shifted due to the PS shutdown. The 8^th of June technical stop was pushed to 6^th of June and reduced to 8 h.
• RILIS:
  
  • The blaze laser is back at ISOLDE. Required for indium beams scheduled this week.

Physics

• Germanium TAS measurements:
  
  • Motivation: electron capture into continuum of this species plays a role in stellar environments after x-ray bursts.
  • Total absorption gamma measurement of selenium and germanium beta decay. Measured N=Z r-p-process nucleus ⁶⁴Ge, plus ^65,66Ga.
• This week physics:
  
  • Manganese beams for Mossbauer spectroscopy until Monday morning.
  • Beta decay of neutron rich ^65-67Mn at IDS.

Safety

• After hands-and-foot scan it was found radioactive contamination in a user’s safety shoe. It was traced back to a piece of carbon tape from the medical isotopes run.
• The ISOLDE tourniquets have now a 3-minute delay before letting a user enter again.

AOB

- CERN outreach group is looking for volunteers for an ISOLDE film

- Next PG meeting will be held Wednesday June 1^st at 2 pm, followed by a seminar to be announced.                                                                                                      Minutes taken by MM