Characterization of the LISOL laser ion source using spontaneous fission of 252Cf

A spontaneous fission Californium-252 source was placed inside a gas cell in order to characterize the LISOL laser ion source. The fission products from 252Cf are thermalized and neutralized in the plasma created by energetic particles. Two-step selective laser ionization is applied to produce purified beams of radioactive isotopes. The survival of fission products in a single charge state has been studied in argon as a buffer gas for different elements.