Ion Mobilities for Heaviest Element Identification

• Applicant: Dr. Mustapha Laatiaoui
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426500921

Relativistic effects strongly influence the chemical and physicalproperties of the heaviest elements and cause deviations in theelectronic configurations and a distortion of the periodicity of theelement table. In this project, we will develop a cryogenic drift-timespectrometer and perform systematic ion mobility studies on theheaviest ions to unveil the dependence of ion-atom interaction on theunderlying electronic configuration. We will explore the evolution ofion mobilities of several actinide elements at different boundaryconditions of electric fields and buffer-gas pressures andtemperatures. Our studies will help in developing novel concepts ofisobar purification and element identification for next-generation gascatchersto be utilized for stopping and manipulation of radioactivesecondary ion-beams of actinides and transactinides.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Michael Block