On-line separation of short-lived beryllium isotopes

Abstract

With the development of a new laser ionization scheme, it became possible to ionize beryllium efficiently in the hot cavity of the ISOLDE laser ion source. The high target and ion source temperatures enable the release of short-lived beryllium isotopes. Thus all particle-stable beryllium isotopes could be extracted from a standard uraniumcarbide/graphite target. For the first time the short-lived isotopes 12Be and 14Be could be identified at an ISOL facility, 14Be being among the most short-lived isotopes separated so far at ISOLDE. The release time from the UC/graphite target was studied with several beryllium isotopes. Profiting from the element selectivity of laser ionization, the strong and isotopically pure beam of 12Be allowed to determine the half-life to T1/2=21.34(23) ms and the probability of beta-delayed neutron emission to Pn=0.48−0.10+0.12%.