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Photocathodes are key elements in high-brightness electron sources and ubiquitous in the operation of large-scale accelerators, although their operation is often limited by their quantum efficiency and lifetime. Here, we propose to overcome these limitations by utilizing direct-laser nanostructuring techniques on copper substrates, improving their efficiency and robustness for next-generation electron photoinjectors. When the surface of a metal is nanoengineered with patterns and particles much smaller than the optical wavelength, it can lead to the excitation of localized surface plasmons that produce hot electrons, ultimately contributing to the overall charge produced. In order to quantify the performance of laser-produced plasmonic photocathodes, we measured their quantum efficiency in a typical electron gun setup. Our experimental results suggest that plasmon-induced hot electrons lead to a significant increase in quantum efficiency, showing an overall charge enhancement factor of at least 4.5 and up to 25. A further increase in their efficiency was observed when combined with semiconductor thin-films deposited over the laser processed surfaces, pointing at potential pathways for further optimization. We demonstrate that simple laser-produced plasmonic photocathodes outperform standard metallic photocathodes, and can be directly produced in-situ at the electron gun level in vacuum environments and without any disruptive intervention. This approach could lead to unprecedented efficient and continuous operation of electron sources, and is useful in many applications across scientific disciplines requiring high average and peak current electron beams.

β-delayed fission (βDF) decay of a low-spin (ls) and a high-spin (hs) isomer in Bi188 was studied at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. Isomer-selective laser ionization and time gating were employed to investigate each isomer separately and their βDF partial half-lives were determined: T1/2p,βDF(188Bihs)=5.6(8)×103 s and T1/2p,βDF(188Bils)=1.7(6)×103 s. This work is the first βDF study of two states in one isotope and allows the spin dependence of low-energy fission to be explored. The fission fragment mass distribution of a daughter nuclide Pb188, following the β decay of the high-spin isomer, was deduced and indicates a mixture of symmetric and asymmetric fission modes. Experimental results were compared with self-consistent mean-field calculations based on the finite-range Gogny D1M interaction. To reproduce the measured T1/2p,βDF(188Bihs), the calculated fission barrier of Pb188 had to be reduced by ≈30%. After this reduction, the measured T1/2p,βDF(188Bils) was in agreement with calculations for a few possible configurations for Bils188. Theoretical βDF probabilities for these configurations were found to be lower by a factor of 4-9 than the βDF probability of Bihs188. The fission fragment mass distribution of Pb188 was compared to the scission-point model SPY and the calculations based on the finite-range liquid-drop model. The first observation of βDF for Bi190 is also reported., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

One of the most important properties influencing the chemical behavior of an element is the electron affinity (EA). Among the remaining elements with unknown EA is astatine, where one of its isotopes, At-211, is remarkably well suited for targeted radionuclide therapy of cancer. With the At- anion being involved in many aspects of current astatine labeling protocols, the knowledge of the electron affinity of this element is of prime importance. Here we report the measured value of the EA of astatine to be 2.41578(7)eV. This result is compared to state-of-the-art relativistic quantum mechanical calculations that incorporate both the Breit and the quantum electrodynamics (QED) corrections and the electron-electron correlation effects on the highest level that can be currently achieved for many-electron systems. The developed technique of laser-photodetachment spectroscopy of radioisotopes opens the path for future EA measurements of other radioelements such as polonium, and eventually super-heavy elements. Electron affinity (EA) is a key parameter in determining the chemical behavior of the elements, but challenging to measure for unstable atoms. Here the authors succeed in measuring the EA of astatine, the heaviest naturally occurring halogen, and compare it with predictions from relativistic calculations.

The common association of mid-crustal migmatites with an upper-level granite pluton could indicate that the migmatites are a feeder zone for the pluton. If magma from a deeper level pervasively intrudes a high temperature metamorphic complex, most of the intruded magma would not freeze because of the prevailing temperature. The interaction between the magma and country rocks, which could include partial melting and crystallisation of the magma passing through, would modify magma to a more granitic composition, as found in the higher-level pluton. The physical aspect of the magma transport through such a hot feeder zone is modelled by introducing a dimensionless melt transport (MT) number, which is the ratio of the rate of melt movement caused by the bulk flow of the entire mass (melt+solid) to that of porous media flow of melt only through the solid framework. The MT number is strongly dependent on the melt content of the melt-rich zone (MRZ), the diameter of the MRZ and typical particle size in the MRZ. The 300-Ma, diatexitic, Lauterbrunnen migmatites (LM) in the Aar massif, Swiss Alps, may be such a feeder zone for the nearby 303-Ma Gastern granite (GG). The chemical and field evidence indicates that the LM formed by an intrusion of intermediate composition magma, which interacted with country rocks to produce a magma of GG composi

In-source resonant ionization laser spectroscopy of the even-A polonium isotopes Po192-210,216,218 has been performed using the 6p37s S25 to 6p37p P25 (λ=843.38nm) transition in the polonium atom (Po-I) at the CERN ISOLDE facility. The comparison of the measured isotope shifts in Po200-210 with a previous data set allows us to test for the first time recent large-scale atomic calculations that are essential to extract the changes in the mean-square charge radius of the atomic nucleus. When going to lighter masses, a surprisingly large and early departure from sphericity is observed, which is only partly reproduced by beyond mean field calculations. © 2011 American Physical Society., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The shape of exotic even-mass Pb182-190 isotopes was probed by measurement of optical isotope shifts providing mean square charge radii (δ r2). The experiment was carried out at the isolde (cern) on-line mass separator, using in-source laser spectroscopy. Small deviations from the spherical droplet model are observed, but when compared to model calculations, those are explained by high sensitivity of δ r2 to beyond mean-field correlations and small admixtures of intruder configurations in the ground state. The data support the predominantly spherical shape of the ground state of the proton-magic Z=82 lead isotopes near neutron midshell (N=104). © 2007 The American Physical Society., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The common association of mid-crustal migmatites with an upper-level granite pluton could indicate that the migmatites are a feeder zone for the pluton. If magma from a deeper level pervasively intrudes a high temperature metamorphic complex, most of the intruded magma would not freeze because of the prevailing temperature. The interaction between the magma and country rocks, which could include partial melting and crystallisation of the magma passing through, would modify magma to a more granitic composition, as found in the higher-level pluton. The physical aspect of the magma transport through such a hot feeder zone is modelled by introducing a dimensionless melt transport (MT) number, which is the ratio of the rate of melt movement caused by the bulk flow of the entire mass (melt+solid) to that of porous media flow of melt only through the solid framework. The MT number is strongly dependent on the melt content of the melt-rich zone (MRZ), the diameter of the MRZ and typical particle size in the MRZ. The 300-Ma, diatexitic, Lauterbrunnen migmatites (LM) in the Aar massif, Swiss Alps, may be such a feeder zone for the nearby 303-Ma Gastern granite (GG). The chemical and field evidence indicates that the LM formed by an intrusion of intermediate composition magma, which interacted with country rocks to produce a magma of GG composi