J. Ruotsalainen

A Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (MR-ToF-MS) has been commissioned at the Ion-Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility. It consists of six electrode pairs that form a nearly energy-isochronous potential and a pulsed drift-tube to trap the ions between the electrodes. Time-of-flight peak widths down to 22 ns full-width at half-maximum and mass-resolving powers of $\approx 1.5 \times 10^5$ within 20 ms have been demonstrated. The obtained time-focus and mass-resolving power depend sensitively on the trapping energy, energy spread and the number of revolutions of the ions. The mass-resolving power is affected by the temporal and energy spread of the ions entering the MR-ToF-MS, and fluctuations in the electrode voltages due to temperature variations. The longitudinal emittance corresponding to the temporal and energy spread of $^{39}$K is estimated to be 175 eVns based on the data, close to the expected 186(10) eVns. The time-of-flight temperature sensitivity is found to be -5.55(30) ppm/K. In addition to atomic mass measurements of short-lived exotic nuclides, the MR-ToF-MS can be used as a fast mass separator for various other experiments at IGISOL and as an ion counter for laser spectroscopy and yield measurements.

The mass of the electron-antineutrino can be determined in dedicated measurements of the $β$ spectral shape near the $β$ endpoint of a $β^-$ transition, with a low $Q$ value enhancing the sensitivity of the measurement. One such low-$Q$-value candidate is the transition between the $6^+$ isomer of $^{110}$Ag and the $5^+_2$ state in $^{110}$Cd ($Q^{\ast}_{β,m}=-0.12(131)$ keV). To reduce the uncertainty of the $Q$ value, we have used the phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance technique with the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap and performed a high-precision atomic-mass measurement of $^{109}$Ag with $^{110}$Cd as a reference. Combined with the known spectroscopic data, we obtain a re-evaluated value $Q^{\ast}_{β,m}=405(135)$ eV, for the $^{110}\text{Ag}(6^+_\text{m}) \rightarrow {^{110}\text{Cd}}(5^+_2)$ transition. This represents the lowest $Q_β$ value for any allowed transition observed to date. In order to estimate the partial half-life ($t_{1/2}$) and branching ratio (Br) of the transition, nuclear shell-model calculations were performed using the $jj45pnb$ Hamiltonian in combination with state-of-the-art atomic calculations. The computed values $t_{1/2} = 2.23^{+5.24}_{-1.28} \times 10^7$ years and $\textrm{Br} = 3.07^{+4.16}_{-2.15} \times 10^{-8}$, along with the thermal-neutron capture on stable $^{109}$Ag as a viable production method, make $^{110}\textrm{Ag}^m$ a promising candidate for future antineutrino-mass measurements.

The masses of the ground and isomeric states in $^{124,125}$Ag have been measured using the phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance technique at the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap mass spectrometer. The ground states of $^{124}$Ag and $^{125}$Ag were found to be 30(250) keV and 250(430) keV less bound but 36 and 110 times more precise than in the Atomic Mass Evaluation 2020, respectively. The excitation energy of $^{124}$Ag$^{m}$, ${E_x = 188.2(25)}$ keV, was determined for the first time. The new precise mass values have been utilised to study the evolution of nuclear structure via two-neutron separation energies. The impact on the astrophysical rapid neutron capture process has been investigated via neutron-capture reaction rate calculations. The precision measurements indicate a more linear trend in two-neutron separation energies and reduce the mass-related uncertainties for the neutron-capture rate of $^{124}$Ag$(n,γ)^{125}$Ag by a factor of around 100. The new mass values also improve the mass of $^{123}$Pd, previously measured using $^{124}$Ag as a reference.

We report on high-precision atomic mass measurements of $^{148\text{-}153}$La and $^{151}$Ce performed with the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap using the Phase-Imaging Ion-Cyclotron-Resonance technique. The masses of $^{152,153}$La were experimentally determined for the first time. We confirm the sharp kink in the two-neutron separation energies at the neutron number ${N=93}$ in the cerium (${Z=58}$) isotopic chain. Our precision mass measurements of the most exotic neutron-rich lanthanum (${Z=57}$) isotopes reveal a sudden increase in two-neutron separation energies from ${N=92}$ to ${N=93}$. Unlike in the cerium isotopic chain, the kink is not sharp but extends to ${N=94}$ forming a prominent bump. The gain in energy is about 0.4 MeV, making it one of the strongest changes in two-neutron separation energies over the whole chart of nuclides, away from nuclear shell closures. The results call for further studies to elucidate the structure of neutron-rich lanthanum isotopes.

We have performed high-precision mass measurements of neutron-rich rare-earth Tb, Dy and Ho isotopes using the Phase-Imaging Ion-Cyclotron-Resonance technique at the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap. We report on the first experimentally determined mass values for $^{169}$Tb, $^{170}$Dy and $^{171}$Dy, as well as the first high-precision mass measurements of $^{169}$Dy and $^{169\text{-}171}$Ho. For $^{170}$Ho, the two long-lived ground and isomeric states were resolved and their mass measured, yielding an isomer excitation energy of $E_\text{exc}=150.8(54)$~keV. In addition, we have performed independent crosschecks of previous Penning-trap values obtained for $^{167\text{,} 168}$Tb and $^{167\text{,} 168}$Dy. We have extended the systematics of two-neutron separation energies to the neutron midshell at $N=104$ in all of the studied isotopic chains. Our updated and new mass measurements provide better mass-related constraints for the neutron-capture reaction rates relevant to the astrophysical rapid neutron capture (r) process. The r-process abundances calculated with the new mass values seem to produce a steeper minimum at A=170 and differ by around 15-30\% from the abundances computed with the Atomic Mass Evaluation 2020 values.

The masses of $^{84}$Br, $^{105}$Mo, $^{115,119,121}$Pd, $^{122}$Ag, $^{127,129}$In, $^{132}$Sb and their respective isomeric states have been measured with the JYFLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer using the phase-imaging ion-cyclotron-resonance technique. The excitation energies of the isomeric states in $^{132}$Sb and $^{119}$Pd were experimentally determined for the first time, while for $^{84}$Br, $^{115}$Pd and $^{127,129}$In, the precision of the mass values was substantially improved. In $^{105}$Mo and $^{121}$Pd there were no signs of a long-lived isomeric state. The ground-state measurements of $^{119}$Pd and $^{122}$Ag indicated that both are significantly more bound than the literature values. For $^{122}$Ag, there was no indication of a proposed third long-lived state. The results for the $N=49$ nucleus $^{84}$Br and isomers close to doubly magic $^{132}$Sn have been compared to the shell-model and the microscopic quasiparticle-phonon model calculations.

We report on the first direct mass measurements of the $^{118,119}$Cd and $^{117-119}$In isotopes performed at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility using the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap mass spectrometer. The masses of $^{117}$In and $^{118}$Cd isotopes are in agreement with the literature, while $^{118,119}$In and $^{119}$Cd differ from literature by 49, 13 and 85 keV (6.1, 1.9 and 2.1 standard deviations), respectively. The excitation energy of the $^{118}$In first isomeric state, $E_x = 40.3(25)$ keV, was determined for the first time. The updated mass values removed the fluctuations observed in the two-neutron separation energies and lead to a smoother linear decrease of both isotopic chains. The $\log(ft)$ value for the $^{118}$Cd decay is also found to increase from 3.93(6) to 4.089(8). The reported results indicate an absence of significant structural changes around $N=70$.

We report on the precise mass measurement of the $^{173}$Hf isotope performed at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility using the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap mass spectrometer. The new mass-excess value, ${\mathrm{ME} = -55390.8(30)}$ keV, is in agreement with the literature while being nine times more precise. The newly determined $^{173}$Hf electron-capture $Q$ value, $Q_{EC} = 1490.2(34)$ keV, allows us to firmly reject the population of an excited state at 1578 keV in $^{173}$Lu and 11 transitions tentatively assigned to the decay of $^{173}$Hf. Our refined mass value of $^{173}$Hf reduces mass-related uncertainties in the reaction rate of $^{174}$Hf$(γ,n)^{173}$Hf. Thus, the rate for the main photodisintegration destruction channel of the $p$ nuclide $^{174}$Hf in the relevant temperature region for the $γ$ process is better constrained.