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Description
Short-lived radioactive isotopes of the chemical elements that are not found on Earth are what nuclear scientists call “rare isotopes”. Rare isotopes are produced naturally all throughout the universe in explosive astrophysical events including supernovae, x-ray bursts and neutron-star mergers. By understanding the basic properties of rare isotopes, we hope to answer some of the biggest questions in contemporary subatomic physics. Precision measurements of nuclear beta decay can constrain the weak interaction and provide stringent tests of the Standard Model, delayed particle emission offers insight into unbound states populated in the nuclear reactions of exploding stars, and gamma-ray emission is essential for elucidating the structure of atomic nuclei. My talk will describe the fascinating science of rare isotopes, the variety of experimental methods that we use to produce and study them, and how the fundamental interactions of the tiniest particles have resulted in the large-scale structure of the visible universe.
