Speeding up liquid-phase heavy element chemistry: Development of a vacuum to liquid transfer chamber (VLTC)

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2021-09, Vol.1011, p.165486, Article 165486
• Main Authors: Krupp, Dominik, Düllmann, Christoph E., Lens, Lotte, Omtvedt, Jon Petter, Yakushev, Alexander, Scherer, Ulrich W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Homologs; Liquid phase chemistry; Superheavy elements
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2021.165486

We present a new system, which is suitable for performing fast liquid phase chemistry experiments and gives access to shorter-lived isotopes of super heavy elements (SHE) than accessible with current techniques. With this novel vacuum to liquid transfer chamber (VLTC), which is mounted behind a physical preseparator, the desired isotopes are transported from the low-pressure side of the recoil separator directly into the liquid phase of a chemical experiment. Simulations on the kinematics of evaporation residues were performed using SRIM, validating the general plausibility of the VLTC concept. Subsequently, the feasibility was demonstrated with 250,252Cf fission fragments, which were collected in dilute nitric acid, separated on an ion exchange column and measured by γ-ray spectroscopy. Finally, tests on the mechanical and chemical stability of the system as well as measurements of the residence time in the liquid phase were performed.