A Novel Approach to β-delayed Neutron Spectroscopy Using the Beta-decay Paul Trap

A new approach to β-delayed neutron spectroscopy has been demonstrated that circumvents the many limitations associated with neutron detection by instead inferring the decay branching ratios and energy spectra of the emitted neutrons by studying the nuclear recoil. Using the Beta-decay Paul Trap, fission-product ions were trapped and confined to within a 1-mm3 volume under vacuum using only electric fields. Results from recent measurements of 137I+ and plans for development of a dedicated ion trap for future experiments using the intense fission fragment beams from the Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) facility at Argonne National Laboratory are summarized. The improved nuclear data that can be collected is needed in many fields of basic and applied science such as nuclear energy, nuclear astrophysics, and stockpile stewardship.