TY - JOUR
T1 - Hypersonic nozzle for laser-spectroscopy studies at 17 K characterized by resonance-ionization-spectroscopy-based flow mapping
AU - Ferrer, R.
AU - Verlinde, M.
AU - Verstraelen, E.
AU - Claessens, A.
AU - Huyse, M.
AU - Kraemer, S.
AU - Kudryavtsev, Yu.
AU - Romans, J.
AU - Van den Bergh, P.
AU - Van Duppen, P.
AU - Zadvornaya, A.
AU - Chazot, O.
AU - Grossir, G.
AU - Kalikmanov, V.I.
AU - Nabuurs, M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Horizon 2020
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Published by the American Physical Society
PY - 2021/10/15
Y1 - 2021/10/15
N2 - The in-gas-jet laser spectroscopy method relies on the production of uniform and low-temperature gas jets to fully resolve the atomic hyperfine structure and efficiently determine fundamental nuclear properties of short-lived isotopes from, e.g., the hardly accessible actinide and transactinide elements. In this article we present the studies devoted to designing, producing, and characterizing the flow properties of a convergent-divergent (de Laval) hypersonic nozzle with a superior performance for laser spectroscopy applications. A novel flow mapping technique, based on resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS), has been employed to characterize the local flow properties of an argon gas jet formed by this nozzle, revealing a 61.5-mm long, highly collimated atomic jet at a uniform low temperature of 16.6(5) K [Mach 8.11(12)] that will enable laser spectroscopy experiments on heavy-exotic nuclei with an unprecedented spectral resolution and a high efficiency. These results have been compared with those obtained by planar laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy (PLIFS) studies and show a good agreement between the two techniques and a significant improvement in efficiency of the RIS mapping method with respect to PLIFS. The data are compared to state-of-the-art fluid-dynamics calculations that were carried out to obtain the nozzle contour and simulate its performance, as well as to explain the observation of a possible onset of argon nucleation.
AB - The in-gas-jet laser spectroscopy method relies on the production of uniform and low-temperature gas jets to fully resolve the atomic hyperfine structure and efficiently determine fundamental nuclear properties of short-lived isotopes from, e.g., the hardly accessible actinide and transactinide elements. In this article we present the studies devoted to designing, producing, and characterizing the flow properties of a convergent-divergent (de Laval) hypersonic nozzle with a superior performance for laser spectroscopy applications. A novel flow mapping technique, based on resonance ionization spectroscopy (RIS), has been employed to characterize the local flow properties of an argon gas jet formed by this nozzle, revealing a 61.5-mm long, highly collimated atomic jet at a uniform low temperature of 16.6(5) K [Mach 8.11(12)] that will enable laser spectroscopy experiments on heavy-exotic nuclei with an unprecedented spectral resolution and a high efficiency. These results have been compared with those obtained by planar laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy (PLIFS) studies and show a good agreement between the two techniques and a significant improvement in efficiency of the RIS mapping method with respect to PLIFS. The data are compared to state-of-the-art fluid-dynamics calculations that were carried out to obtain the nozzle contour and simulate its performance, as well as to explain the observation of a possible onset of argon nucleation.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85117113831
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043041
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043041
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117113831
SN - 2643-1564
VL - 3
JO - Physical Review Research
JF - Physical Review Research
IS - 4
M1 - 043041
ER -