International Conference on Precision Physics of Simple Atomic Systems

Session

Session 3

18 May 2026, 14:10

Festsaal (ÖAW)

94. Nuclear laser spectroscopy of Thorium-229

Thorsten Schumm (T)

18/05/2026, 14:10

Invited Talk

Among the >3000 isotopes, Thorium-229 provides the lowest-energy nuclear first excited state, a so-called isomer state. This isomer state at 8.4 eV is the only nuclear state accessible to laser manipulation and spectroscopy. It’s long >10 minutes lifetimes with a connected narrow transition linewidth, combined with the intrinsic robustness of nuclear transitions, makes it an exciting candidate...

8. CW laser source for the thorium clock transition

M. V. Okhapkin (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany)

18/05/2026, 14:50

Talk

The first low-energy nuclear excited state of thorium-229 has gained an increasing interest since direct laser excitation have been demonstrated [1] and quickly confirmed in various solid-state experiments. This unique transition of the thorium isotope offers many applications, including a highly accurate nuclear clock, and a new testbed for physics beyond the standard model
Still, one...

81. Highly-Ionized-229-Thorium: The HiThor Project at GSI

Dr Carsten Brandau (GSI-Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung mbH)

18/05/2026, 15:10

Talk

Since at least the first laser excitations of the $^{229}$Th nucleus in 2024, $^{229}$Th nuclear clocks is the talk of the town [1-3]. In the HiThor project an alternative scenario for $^{229}$Th studies is pursued that is based on $^{229}$Th$^{q+}$ ions in their highest charge states (q»1). Key to the HiThor programm is H-like $^{229}$Th$^{89+}$ that exhibits an effect termed nuclear...