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The future Super-FRS separator-spectrometer at FAIR will provide rare-isotope beams for key experiments in nuclear structure, astrophysics and nuclear reactions. The Super-FRS will use large-aperture magnets, which is important for the acceptance of nuclear reaction products with a large transverse and longitudinal emittance. In the standard ion-optical separator mode, magnetic rigidity analysis in combination with atomic energy-loss will be performed for clean isotopic spatial separation, once in the Pre-Separator and second in the Main-Separator. New ion-optical developments, prepared for different categories of experiments, are presented in this article. The operating modes described in the early publications of the project are updated in the first part of the paper. In the second part, special ion-optical modes mainly for the experiments of the Super-FRS Experiment Collaboration are discussed. This collaboration is the succession of the FRS Collaboration which has concentrated on separator-spectrometer experiments with the present facility at GSI since 1990.

The FRagment Separator FRS at GSI is primarily a powerful in-flight separator for short-lived exotic nuclei based on multiple magnetic rigidity analysis and atomic energy-loss in shaped matter. The versatile ion-optical system of the FRS can also be operated as a high-resolution spectrometer and can be used for precise momentum measurements. Other experiments require high rates of exotic nuclei which is accomplished through thick targets and high optical transmission. Here, two developments are presented: A new mode for high-resolution momentum measurements and a high-transmission mode for exotic isotopes spatially separated and energy bunched with achromatic and monoenergetic degraders.

Determination of the constituents of the radioactive ion beam (RIB) is crucial for successful experiments at low-energy RIB facilities and as such decides the fate of many experiments. Here we present the role of TITAN’s Multiple-Reflection Time-Of-Flight Mass Separator (MR-TOF-MS) and how it complements the present capabilities at ISAC-TRIUMF for yield determinations and beam delivery. This non-scanning, broadband, high-resolution mass spectrometer allows for real-time identification and quantification of all species, ranging from radionuclides with half-lives as low as a few ms to stable isotopes and molecules. In this manner it can be efficiently used to optimize RIB delivery through the ISAC mass separator for rate of the species of interest or its ratio to contamination. We present an example of this optimization approach, where the purity of secondary beams of neutron-rich titanium was improved by more than one order of magnitude based on the diagnostics capabilities of the new MR-TOF-MS and thus, allowed for high-precision mass measurements at TITAN.

Direct mass measurements of neutron-deficient nuclides around the N=50 shell closure below $^{100}$Sn were performed at the FRS Ion Catcher (FRS-IC) at GSI, Germany. The nuclei were produced by projectile fragmentation of $^{124}$Xe, separated in the fragment separator FRS and delivered to the FRS-IC. The masses of 14 ground states and two isomers were measured with relative mass uncertainties down to 1×10−7 using the multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer of the FRS-IC, including the first direct mass measurements of $^{98}$Cd and $^{97}$Rh. A new QEC=5437±67 keV was obtained for $^{98}$Cd, resulting in a summed Gamow-Teller (GT) strength for the five observed transitions (0+⟶1+) as B(GT)=2.94−0.28+0.32. Investigation of this result in state-of-the-art shell model approaches accounting for the first time experimentally observed spectrum of GT transitions points to a perfect agreement for N=50 isotones. The excitation energy of the long-lived isomeric state in $^{94}$Rh was determined for the first time to be 293±21 keV. This, together with the shell model calculations, allows the level ordering in $^{94}$Rh to be understood.

The Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) laboratory in Bucharest, Romania, will host an IGISOL-type facility which will study exotic neutron-rich ion beams produced via photo-fission in actinide targets placed at the center of a cryogenic gas cell. Using a complex radio frequency quadrupole for radioactive ion beam formation, a powerful multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer for selecting the refractory isotopes of interest, and several measurement stations, this facility will be an exciting new tool for nuclear scientists. The two mechanisms of ion transport inside the gas cell, namely drift by electric fields and drag by supersonic gas jets, are studied. A program to test the individual components of the stopping cell is discussed.

Mass measurements of the $^{69}$As, $^{70,71}$Se and $^{71}$Br isotopes, produced via fragmentation of a $^{124}$Xe primary beam at the FRS at GSI, have been performed with the multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) of the FRS Ion Catcher with an unprecedented mass resolving power of almost 1,000,000. For the $^{69}$As isotope, this is the first direct mass measurement. A mass uncertainty of 22 keV was achieved with only 10 events. For the $^{70}$Se isotope, a mass uncertainty of 2.6 keV was obtained, corresponding to a relative accuracy of $\delta$m/m = 4.0$\times 10^{-8}$, with less than 500 events. The masses of the $^{71}$Se and $^{71}$Br isotopes were measured with an uncertainty of 23 and 16 keV, respectively. Our results for the $^{70,71}$Se and $^{71}$Br isotopes agree with the 2016 Atomic Mass Evaluation, and our result for the $^{69}$As isotope resolves the discrepancy between previous indirect measurements. We measured also the mass of $^{14}$N$^{15}$N$^{40}$Ar (A=69) with a relative accuracy of $\delta$m/m = 1.7$\times 10^{-8}$, the highest yet achieved with a MR-TOF-MS. Our results show that the measured restrengthening of the proton-neutron interaction ($\delta$V$_{pn}$) for odd-odd nuclei at the N=Z line above Z=29 (recently extended to Z=37) is hardly evident at N-Z=2, and not evident at N-Z=4. Nevertheless, detailed structure of $\delta$V$_{pn}$ along the N-Z=2 and N-Z=4 lines, confirmed by our mass measurements, may provide a hint regarding the ongoing $\approx$500 keV discrepancy in the mass value of the $^{70}$Br isotope, which prevents including it in the world average of ${Ft}$-value for superallowed 0$^+\rightarrow$ 0$^+$ $\beta$ decays. The reported work sets the stage for mass measurements with the FRS Ion Catcher of nuclei at and beyond the N=Z line in the same region of the nuclear chart, including the $^{70}$Br isotope., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication at Physical Review C

A new series of neutron-rich indium mass measurements is reported from the TITAN multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS). These mass measurements cover 125−134In (N=76–85) and include ground states as well as isomeric states. The masses of nuclei in this region are known to be of great importance for accurately modeling r-process nucleosynthesis, and the significance of the reported neutron-rich indium masses is discussed in this context. Results are compared with earlier experimental data where available as well as theoretical mass models. The measurements reported here include the first mass measurements of 133,134In, as well as the first direct mass measurement of 132In. The masses of 125−131In ground states and several isomers were previously measured to higher precision by Penning trap mass spectrometry, which also resolved some low-lying isomers that could not be resolved in this work. The earlier Penning trap measurements serve as excellent cross-checks for the MR-TOF-MS measurements, and in some cases the MR-TOF-MS measurements improve the literature uncertainties of higher-lying isomer masses and excitation energies. A new isomeric state for 128In, recently reported for the first time by the JYFLTRAP group, is also confirmed by the TITAN MR-TOF-MS, with a measured excitation energy of 1813(17) keV.

Gas-filled stopping cells are used at accelerator laboratories for the thermalization of high-energy radioactive ion beams. Common challenges of many stopping cells are a high molecular background of extracted ions and limitations of extraction efficiency due to space-charge effects. At the FRS Ion Catcher at GSI, a new technique for removal of ionized molecules prior to their extraction out of the stopping cell has been developed. This technique utilizes the RF carpet for the separation of atomic ions from molecular contaminant ions through their difference in ion mobility. Results from the successful implementation and test during an experiment with a 600~MeV/u $^{124}$Xe primary beam are presented. Suppression of molecular contaminants by three orders of magnitude has been demonstrated. Essentially background-free measurement conditions with less than $1~\%$ of background events within a mass-to-charge range of 25 u/e have been achieved. The technique can also be used to reduce the space-charge effects at the extraction nozzle and in the downstream beamline, thus ensuring high efficiency of ion transport and highly-accurate measurements under space-charge-free conditions., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures

Physical review letters 127(11), 112501 (2021). doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.112501, Published by APS, College Park, Md.

The production of very neutron-rich nuclides heavier than fission fragments is an ongoing experimental challenge. Multi-nucleon transfer reactions (MNT) have been suggested as a method to produce these nuclides. By thermalizing the reaction products in gas-filled stopping cells, we can deliver them as cooled high-quality beams to decay, laser and mass spectrometry experiments. High precision mass spectrometry will allow for the first time to universally and unambiguously identify the atomic and proton numbers of the ions produced in MNT reactions. In this way their ground and isomeric state properties can be studied in high-precision measurements. In experiments at IGISOL, Finland and at FRS Ion Catcher, Germany, we have done and will perform broadband measurements of the reaction products, with the aim to improve the understanding of the reaction mechanism and to determine the properties of the ground and isomeric states of the produced nuclides. First results and preparations for upcoming experiments are presented.

The European physical journal / Web of Conferences 239, 02004 (2020). doi:10.1051/epjconf/202023902004, Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

Physics letters / B 802, 135200 (2020). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2020.135200, Published by North-Holland Publ., Amsterdam

The European physical journal / A 56(5), 143 (2020). doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00153-5, Published by Springer, Heidelberg

The combination of in-flight separation with a gas-filled stopping cell has opened a new field for experiments with exotic nuclei. For instance, at the SHIP/SHIPTRAP facility at GSI in Darmstadt high-precision mass measurements of rare nuclei have been successfully performed. In order to extend the reach of SHIPTRAP to exotic nuclei that are produced together with high rates of unwanted reaction products, a novel compact radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) system has been developed. It implements ion cooling, identification and separation according to mass numbers and bunching capabilities. The system has a total length of one meter only and consists of an RFQ cooler, an RFQ mass filter and an RFQ buncher. A mass resolving power (FWHM) of 240 at a transmission efficiency of 90% has been achieved. The suppression of contaminants from neighboring masses by more than four orders of magnitude has been demonstrated at rates exceeding 1 0 6 ions/s. A longitudinal emittance of 0.45 eV μ s has been achieved with the RFQ buncher, which will enable improved time-of-flight mass spectrometry downstream of the device. With this triple RFQ system the measurement of e.g. N = Z nuclides in the region up to tin will become possible at SHIPTRAP. The technology is also well suited for other rare-isotope facilities with experimental setups behind a stopping cell, such as the fragment separator FRS with the FRS Ion Catcher at GSI.

TRIUMF’s Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN) has specialized in fast Penning Trap mass spectrometry of very short-lived radioactive isotopes. The facility has been upgraded with a Multiple-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) to continue its quest towards more exotic nuclides, which are critical for our understanding of nuclear structure effects far from the valley of beta stability and for the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in explosive astrophysical environments. In this publication, we discuss the implementation, operation and performance of TITAN’s MR-TOF-MS as a stand-alone high-precision mass spectrometer and as an isobar separator. By using the novel mass-selective re-trapping technique for the isobar separation, the MR-TOF-MS can consecutively perform separation and mass measurement of the same ion population, acting as its own isobar separator. The device boosts the dynamic range and reach of the TITAN facility by several orders of magnitude. The MR-TOF-MS reaches a high mass resolving power ( m / Δ m ∼ 400 000 ), high precision and mass accuracy ( δ m / m 1 0 − 7 ), is fast (common cycle time 20 ms ), shows high sensitivity and very large dynamic range (ion of interest to contaminant ratios of up to 1 to 1 0 6 ).

A new probability distribution function (PDF) called hyper-Exponentially Modified Gaussian (hyper-EMG) is introduced for the analysis of high-resolution spectra from multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometers. The hyper-EMG consists of a central Gaussian distribution modified by multiple exponential tails with different strengths at one or both sides. The basic statistical properties of the new PDF are given and the analysis of mass spectra containing separated and overlapping peaks is presented. The main requirement is to accurately determine the positions and areas of the individual mass peaks. From the distances of positions the mass values can be determined, from the areas the population of different ground and isomeric states can be obtained. The hyper-EMG has been applied to high-resolution time and mass spectra characterized by mass resolving powers of 140,000 and 520,000 obtained with Cs + 133 and K + 39 ions, respectively. From the measured mass distribution of K + 39 ions, an overlapping distribution of two peaks with an area ratio of 1:10 and a mass difference of 2.6 ppm (parts-per-million) is generated and analyzed. The results reveal significant advantages of the new PDF for the evaluation of overlapping distributions for accurate mass and area determinations compared with commonly used PDFs which are more than one order of magnitude less accurate. It is obvious that the hyper-EMG can be favorably applied also to other fields.

A novel method for (ultra-)high-resolution spatial mass separation in time-of-flight mass spectrometers is presented. Ions are injected into a time-of-flight analyzer from a radio frequency (rf) trap, dispersed in time-of-flight according to their mass-to-charge ratios and then re-trapped dynamically in the same rf trap. This re-trapping technique is highly mass-selective and after sufficiently long flight times can provide even isobaric separation. A theoretical treatment of the method is presented and the conditions for optimum performance of the method are derived. The method has been implemented in a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer and mass separation powers (FWHM) in excess of 70,000, and re-trapping efficiencies of up to 35% have been obtained for the protonated molecular ion of caffeine. The isobars glutamine and lysine (relative mass difference of 1/4000) have been separated after a flight time of 0.2 ms only. Higher mass separation powers can be achieved using longer flight times. The method will have important applications, including isobar separation in nuclear physics and (ultra-)high-resolution precursor ion selection in multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A new method is presented for making the overall flight path of ions in a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) isochronous. Here, the ions undergo an arbitrary number of turns in a TOF analyzer, which itself is tuned to be isochronous from turn to turn. The overall isochronicity from the ion source or injection trap to the detector is established by changing the voltage settings of the analyzer dynamically to a different mode for one turn. This approach combines the advantages of an MR-TOF-MS with a time focus shift reflector with the simplicity of an MR-TOF-MS with only the TOF analyzer as an isochronous tool. Measurements have been performed, in which an MR-TOF-MS was operated with this dynamical time focus shift. These are compared to measurements, in which the time focus was shifted onto the detector using a variation of the extraction field strength in the injection trap. A mass resolving power was achieved that is up to three times larger for the same time-of-flight. For Cs ions, mass resolving powers of 100,000 and 200,000 were obtained after flight times of 1.7 ms and 4.9 ms, respectively. These flight times are a factor of 3 shorter than those with the time focus shift with the injection trap. The smaller number of turns required for a given mass resolving power results in a larger unambiguous mass range, a higher transmission efficiency, a higher ion capacity and a shorter measurement time. This yields advantages in precision experiments in nuclear physics and for applications in analytical mass spectrometry.

Physical review / C covering nuclear physics 99(6), 064313 (2019). doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.99.064313, Published by Inst., Woodbury, NY

A novel method for simultaneous measurement of masses, Q-values, isomer excitation energies, half-lives and decay branching ratios of exotic nuclei has been demonstrated. The method includes first use of a stopping cell as an ion trap, combining containment of precursors and decay-recoils for variable durations in a cryogenic stopping cell (CSC), and afterwards the identification and counting of them by a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS). Feasibility has been established by recording the decay and growth of $^{216}$Po and $^{212}$Pb (alpha decay) and of $^{119m2}$Sb (t$_{1/2}$ = 850$\pm$90 ms) and $^{119g}$Sb (isomer transition), obtaining half-lives and branching ratios consistent with literature values. Hardly any non-nuclear-decay losses have been observed in the CSC for up to $\sim$10 seconds, which exhibits its extraordinary cleanliness. For $^{119}$Sb, this is the first direct measurement of the ground and second isomeric state masses, resolving the discrepancies in previous excitation energy data. These results pave the way for the measurement of branching ratios of exotic nuclei with multiple decay channels., 11 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to European Physics Journal A

Hyperfine interactions 240(1), 62 (2019). doi:10.1007/s10751-019-1610-y, Published by Springer Science + Business Media B.V, Dordrecht [u.a.]

The conceptual design of a next-generation cryogenic stopping cell (CSC) for the Low-Energy Branch (LEB) of the Super-FRS has been developed. It builds on advanced techniques implemented in the prototype version of the CSC, which has recently been commissioned as part of the FRS Ion Catcher with 238 U projectile and fission fragments produced at 1000 MeV/u. These techniques include cryogenic operation to ensure a high purity of the stopping gas and high-density operation enabled using an RF carpet with a small electrode structure size. The next generation CSC implements several novel concepts (e.g. perpendicular extraction) which lead to enhanced performance compared to the prototype CSC: (i) extremely short extraction times, (ii) higher rate capability, (iii) increased areal density without deteriorating extraction times, efficiencies or rate capability, (iv) minimized RF power, (v) precise range measurement of the ions and (vii) improved cleanliness of the CSC.

A time-of-flight (TOF) detector is used for Isochronous Mass Spectrometry (IMS) with the projectile fragment separator FRS and the heavy-ion storage ring ESR. Exotic nuclei are spatially separated in flight with the FRS at about 70% of the speed of light and are injected into the ESR. The revolution times of the stored ions circulating in the ESR are measured with a thin transmission foil detector. When the ions penetrate the thin detector foil, secondary electrons (SEs) are emitted from the surface and provide the timing information in combination with microchannel plate (MCP) detectors. The isochronous transport of the SEs is performed by perpendicular superimposed electric and magnetic fields. The detection efficiency and the rate capability of the TOF detector have been studied in simulations and experiments. As a result the performance of the TOF detector has been improved substantially: (i) The SE collection efficiency was doubled by use of an optimized set of electric and magnetic field values; now SEs from almost the full area of the foil are transmitted to the MCP detectors. (ii) The rate capability of the TOF detector was improved by a factor of four by the use of MCPs with 5 μm pore size. (iii) With these MCPs and a carbon foil with a reduced thickness of 10 μg/cm 2 the number of recorded revolutions in the ESR has been increased by nearly a factor of 10. The number of recorded revolutions determine the precision of the IMS experiments. Heavy-ion measurements were performed with neon ions at 322 MeV/u and uranium fission fragments at about 370 MeV/u. In addition, measurements with an alpha source were performed in the laboratory with a duplicate of the TOF detector.

At the Low-Energy Branch (LEB) of the Super-FRS at FAIR, projectile and fission fragments will be produced at relativistic energies, separated in-flight, energy-bunched, slowed down and thermalized in a cryogenic stopping cell (CSC) filled with ultra-pure He gas. The fragments are extracted from the stopping cell using a combination of DC and RF electric fields and gas flow. A prototype CSC for the LEB has been developed and successfully commissioned at the FRS Ion Catcher at GSI. Ionization of He buffer gas atoms during the stopping of energetic ions creates a region of high space charge in the stopping cell. The space charge decreases the extraction efficiency of stopping cells since the high amount of charge distorts the applied DC electric drag fields. Thus the understanding of space charge effects is of great importance to make full use of the high yields at future RIB facilities such as the Super-FRS at FAIR. For this purpose a detailed study of space charge effects in the CSC was performed using experiments and simulations. The dependence of the extraction efficiency, the extraction time and the temporal ion extraction profile on the intensity of the impinging beam and the electric field strength was studied for two different U-238 projectile fragments produced at 1000 MeV/u and separated with the FRS. Good agreement between experiments and simulations was found. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physics letters / B 754, 288 - 293 (2016). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.01.039, Published by North-Holland Publ., Amsterdam

We performed the first direct mass measurements of neutron-rich vanadium 52–55V isotopes passing the N=32 neutron shell closure with TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science. The new direct measurements confirm all previous indirect results. Through a reduced uncertainty of the mass of 55V we confirm the quenching of the N=32 neutron shell closure in vanadium. We discuss the evolution of the N=32 neutron shell closure between K and Cr and show similar signatures in the half-life surface when studied along the isotopic chains.

We report mass measurements of neutron-rich Ga isotopes $^{80-85}$Ga with TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN). The measurements determine the masses of $^{80-83}$Ga in good agreement with previous measurements. The masses of $^{84}$Ga and $^{85}$Ga were measured for the first time. Uncertainties between $25-48$ keV were reached. The new mass values reduce the nuclear uncertainties associated with the production of A $\approx$ 84 isotopes by the \emph{r}-process for astrophysical conditions that might be consistent with a binary neutron star (BNS) merger producing a blue kilonova. Our nucleosynthesis simulations confirm that BNS merger may contribute to the first abundance peak under moderate neutron-rich conditions with electron fractions $Y_e=0.35-0.38$.

At TRIUMF’s Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear Science (TITAN) a multiplereflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) will extend TITAN’s capabilities and facilitate mass measurements and in-trap decay spectroscopy of exotic nuclei that so far have not been possible due to strong isobaric contaminations. This MR-TOF-MS will also enable mass measurements of very short-lived nuclides (half-life > 1 ms) that are produced in very low quantities (a few detected ions overall). In order to allow the installation of an MR-TOF-MS in the restricted space on the platform, on which the TITAN facility is located, novel mass spectrometric methods have been developed. Transport, cooling and distribution of the ions inside the device is done using a buffer gas-filled RFQ-based ion beam switchyard. Mass selection is achieved using a dynamic retrapping technique after time-of-flight analysis in an electrostatic isochronous reflector system. Only due to the combination of these novel methods the realization of an MR-TOF-MS based isobar separator at TITAN has become possible. The device has been built, commissioned off-line and is currently under installation at TITAN.

The ion-optical design of a multiple reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer and isobar separator (MR-TOF-MS) is presented. The MR-TOF-MS has been developed for the research with exotic nuclides at accelerator facilities and has been designed to provide a mass resolving power (FWHM) exceeding 300,000 and a mass accuracy of down to 10 −7 . High-performance axially symmetric four-electrode gridless ion mirrors have been developed and optimized for the device. In addition, the MR-TOF-MS comprises several further novel ion-optical elements such as an isochronous post-analyzer reflector and an energy bunching and deceleration system for ion injection into an accumulation trap. The device has been built and commissioned and shows superb performance characteristics in accordance with the design criteria.

A novel multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) and isobar separator for the research with exotic nuclides at low-energy rare isotope beam facilities has been developed, commissioned and characterized. It can be used (i) as broadband mass spectrometer with medium resolution, (ii) as highly accurate mass spectrometer for direct mass measurements and (iii) as high-resolution mass separator. The device features a worldwide unique combination of performance characteristics: a mass resolving power of 600,000 (FWHM), a mass measurement accuracy of ~ 10 − 7 , large ion capacities in excess of 106 ions per second, a transmission efficiency of up to 70%, single-ion sensitivity, and cycle frequencies of up to 400 Hz have been achieved. The spatial separation of close-lying isobars with an intensity ratio of 200:1 and a binding energy difference as small as 4 MeV has been demonstrated. The MR-TOF-MS is ideally suited for experiments with rare and very short-lived nuclei at present and future in-flight, ISOL or IGISOL facilities, such as the FRS Ion-Catcher and SHIP/SHIPTRAP at GSI, TITAN at TRIUMF, IGISOL at the University of Jyvaskyla and the Low-Energy Branch of the Super-FRS at FAIR.

Atomic nuclei far from stability continue to challenge our understanding. For example, theoretical models have predicted an “island of stability” in the region of the superheavy elements due to the closure of spherical proton and neutron shells. Depending on the model, these are expected at Z = 114, 120 or even 126 and N = 172 or 184. Valuable information on the road to the island of stability is derived from high-precision mass measurements, which give direct access to binding energies of short-lived trans-uranium nuclei. Recently, direct mass measurements at SHIPTRAP have been extended to nobelium and lawrencium isotopes around the deformed shell gap N = 152. In order to further extend mass measurements to the region of superheavy elements, new technical developments are required to increase the performance of our setup. The sensitivity will increase through the implementation of a new detection method, where observation of one single ion is sufficient. Together with the use of a more efficient gas stopping cell, this will us allow to significantly enhance the overall efficiency of SHIPTRAP.

Precision measurements with an incident ion beam characterized by a large phase space represent a great challenge for in-flight rare-isotope facilities. Projectile fragments and fission products separated in flight have an inevitable large angular and momentum spread due to their stochastic creation processes and the atomic interactions in the production target, degrader and detector materials. A solution is to use dedicated ion-optical spectrometers with a high-resolution which can be obtained by circumventing the influence of the inherent large transverse and longitudinal emittance of the fragment beams. We demonstrate the method by coupling the different ion-optical sections of the magnetic in-flight separator Super-FRS in the Low-Energy Branch and show that the required high resolution can be achieved via dispersion-matched modes.

Multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometers (MR-TOF-MS) have recently been installed at different low-energy radioactive ion beam facilities. They are used as isobar separators with high ion capacity and as mass spectrometers with high mass resolving power and accuracy for short-lived nuclei. Furthermore, MR-TOF-MS have a huge potential for applications in other fields, such as chemistry, biology, medicine, space science, and homeland security. The development, commissioning and results of an MR-TOF-MS is presented, which serves as proof-of-principle to show that very high mass resolving powers (∼10 5 ) can be achieved in a compact device (length ∼30 cm). Based on this work, an MR-TOF-MS for in situ application has been designed. For the first time, this device combines very high mass resolving power (>10 5 ), mobility, and an atmospheric pressure inlet in one instrument. It will enable in situ measurements without sample preparation at very high mass accuracy. Envisaged applications of this mobile MR-TOF-MS are discussed.

Multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry is an emerging technique that meets the challenges of mass spectrometry at current and future accelerator facilities for the research with exotic nuclei. Moreover, many new applications in analytical mass spectrometry appear on the horizon. In a multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) the analyzer is traversed many times by the ions, extending the flight path by several orders of magnitude over conventional time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MS). MR-TOF-MS thus allow to achieve a very high mass resolving power (>100,000) in a compact device. They combine the advantages of conventional TOF-MS, viz. extremely short measurement times (∼ ms), a large mass range, very high sensitivity and non-scanning operation, with very high mass resolving power and accuracy. MR-TOF-MS can serve as devices for high-accuracy mass measurements of very short-lived nuclei, as high-resolution mass separators, and as broadband mass spectrometers for diagnostic purposes. In this article, an overview of MR-TOF-MS developments for the research with short-lived nuclei is given. Different instrumental implementations are reviewed. Despite the same operation principle, different instrumental solutions exist, which give rise to significant differences in applicability and performance. A novel performance criterion for mass spectrometers for the research with exotic nuclei is presented, and a performance increase for MR-TOF-MS of at least one order of magnitude compared to the established technique of TOF-ICR is found. The MR-TOF-MS for the Low-Energy Branch of the Super-FRS at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), which has recently been commissioned at the FRS Ion Catcher at GSI, is presented in some detail. Applications of MR-TOF-MS at accelerator facilities as well as their scientific potential outside the field of nuclear physics are discussed.

The Super-FRS in-flight fragment separator at FAIR will be used to produce exotic nuclei at relativistic energies. High resolution experiments in ion traps with the separated fragments will be performed after they are slowed-down in matter and quickly extracted from a gas-filled stopping cell. Such experiments require an effective range bunching with a high-resolution magnetic spectrometer in combination with a wedge-shaped degrader at the dispersive focal plane. The ion-optical system of the spectrometer proposed here is rather versatile because it consists of several dipole and quadrupole magnets arranged such to serve as an energy-buncher and also as a large-acceptance spectrometer for the analysis of secondary reaction products. The performance and the experimental potential of such a multi-purpose spectrometer are described.

The physics program at the super-conducting fragment separator (Super-FRS) at FAIR, being operated in a multiple-stage, high-resolution spectrometer mode, is discussed. The Super-FRS will produce, separate and transport radioactive beams at high energies up to 1.5 AGeV, and it can be also used as a stand-alone experimental device together with ancillary detectors. Various combinations of the magnetic sections of the Super-FRS can be operated in dispersive, achromatic or dispersion-matched spectrometer ion-optical modes, which allow measurements of momentum distributions of secondary-reaction products with high resolution and precision. A number of unique experiments in atomic, nuclear and hadron physics are suggested with the Super-FRS as a stand-alone device, in particular searches for new isotopes, studies of hyper-nuclei, delta-resonances in exotic nuclei and spectroscopy of atoms characterized by bound mesons. Rare decay modes like multiple-proton or neutron emission and the nuclear tensor force observed in high momentum regime can be also addressed. The in-flight radioactivity measurements as well as fusion, transfer and deep-inelastic reaction mechanisms with the slowed-down and energy-bunched fragment beams are proposed for the high-resolution and energy buncher modes at the Super-FRS. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Masses of uranium fission fragments have been measured with the FRagment Separator (FRS) combined with the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI. A 410-415 MeV/u 238U projectile beam was fast extracted from the synchrotron SIS-18 with an average intensity of 109/spill. The projectiles were focused on a 1g/cm2 beryllium target at the entrance of the FRS to create neutron-rich isotopes via abrasion-fission. The fission fragments were spatially separated with the FRS and injected into the isochronous storage ring ESR for fast mass measurements without applying cooling. The Isochronous Mass Spectrometry (IMS) was performed under two different experimental conditions, with and without B $\rho$ -tagging at the high-resolution dispersive central focal plane of the FRS. The evaluation has been done for the combined data sets from both experiments with a new method of data analysis. The use of a correlation matrix has provided experimental mass values for 23 different neutron-rich isotopes for the first time and 6 masses with improved values. The new masses were obtained for nuclides in the element range from Se to Ce. The applied analysis has given access even to rare isotopes detected with an intensity of a few atoms per week. The novel data analysis and systematic error determination are described and the results are compared with extrapolations of experimental values and theoretical models.

Quantum-mechanical shell effects are expected to strongly enhance nuclear binding on an "island of stability" of superheavy elements. The predicted center at proton number $Z=114,120$, or $126$ and neutron number $N=184$ has been substantiated by the recent synthesis of new elements up to $Z=118$. However the location of the center and the extension of the island of stability remain vague. High-precision mass spectrometry allows the direct measurement of nuclear binding energies and thus the determination of the strength of shell effects. Here, we present such measurements for nobelium and lawrencium isotopes, which also pin down the deformed shell gap at $N=152$., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

Masses of 238U projectile fragments have been measured with time-resolved Schottky Mass Spectrometry (SMS) at the FRS-ESR facility at GSI. The exotic nuclei were created in the production target at the entrance of the fragment separator FRS, spatially separated in flight and injected into the storage-cooler ring ESR at about 70% light velocity. This means the ions were mainly bare or carried only a few electrons, e.g., the population of Li-like ions was below 1% for Pt fragments. Accurate newmass values of 33 neutron-rich, stored exotic nuclei in the element range from platinum to uranium have been obtained for the first time. In total more than 150 nuclides including references with well-known masses have been covered in this large-area SMS measurement. A novel data analysis has been applied which reduces the systematic errors by taking into account the velocity profile of the cooler electrons and the residual ion-optical dispersion in this part of the storage ring. The experiment, the data analysis, and the mass values are presented. The experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions demonstrating systematic deviations of up to 1500 keV from modern mass models.

238U projectile fragments have been created at the entrance of the fragment separator FRS, spatially separated in flight within 0.45 μs and injected into the storage-cooler ring ESR at 7.9 Tm corresponding to about 70% light velocity. Accurate new mass values and lifetime information of the stored exotic nuclei in the element range from platinum to uranium have been obtained with single-particle Schottky spectrometry. In this experiment the new isotopes of 236Ac, 224At, 221Po, 222Po, and 213Tl were discovered. The isotopes were unambiguously identified and their masses measured. In addition, the time-correlated data have provided information on the lifetime of the new nuclides. The discovery of isotopes along with accurate mass measurement has been achieved for the first time at the FRS-ESR facility. The results will contribute to the knowledge of the decay products from the r-process nuclei and enable a crucial test of the predictive power of modern nuclear mass and half-life models.

Penning traps are widely used for high-precision mass measurements of radionuclides related to nuclear astrophysics studies and the evolution of nuclear structure far away from stability. With the stopping of secondary beams in gas cells together with advanced ion-beam manipulation techniques their reach has been extended to rare isotopes of essentially all elements. The Penning trap mass spectrometer SHIPTRAP at GSI Darmstadt has recently demonstrated that even high-precision mass measurements of transfermium elements can be performed despite low production rates of only about one particle per second. This important milestone opens new perspectives for the study of superheavy elements with ion traps.

We are developing a new velocity filter which is foreseen for separation of fusion and deep inelastic transfer products in the region of heavy and superheavy nuclei. The device is developed in collaboration with GSI Darmstadt, the University of Giessen and the Manipal University, India. In parallel to the separator design we are developing new techniques for particle detection and identification, especially for heavy nuclei which are not accessible with the presently available techniques.