Manipulating nuclei with laser light: the quest of Thorium-229 (Prof. T. Schumm)
- Datum: 27.06.2017
- Uhrzeit: 14:30 - 15:30
- Vortragende(r): Prof. Dr. Thorsten Schumm
- Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ), Austria
- Raum: Herbert Walther Lecture Hall
- Gastgeber: MPQ
The radio isotope Thorium-229 is expected to present a remarkably low-energy excited (isomer) state of the nucleus which is expected around 7.8(5) eV.
It might
hence be possible to directly excite the atomic nucleus with UV (laser)
radiation, creating a bridge between atomic and nuclear physics. The (expected)
narrow line width of the transition and the intrinsic robustness of nuclear
transitions to external fields makes it a promising candidate for a new
frequency standard. In this presentation
we will review the current state of knowledge on the low-energy nuclear
transition in Thorium-229 and the ongoing quest to measure it’s exact energy.