Mass Measurement Technique Uncovers New Iron Isomer (from 2008)
A ground state atomic nucleus can be something of a black box, masking subtle details about its structure behind the aggregate interplay of its protons and neutrons. This is one reason nuclear scientists are so keenly interested in isomers -- relatively long-lived excited-state nuclei that more easily give up their structural secrets to experimentalists. For years, gamma ray spectroscopy has been one of the only reliable means of studying isomers. But now scientists have a new tool at their disposal. In a paper that will be published in Physical Review Letters, researchers at Michigan State University's National Superconducting Laboratory (NSCL) report the first ever discovery of a nuclear isomer by Penning trap mass spectrometry. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320191308.htm Harry
