Thursday, November 10, 2016, 16:00
WHGA Auditorium
Thorsten Schumm, TU Vienna
Abstract:
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.I n 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.