The new isotope separator and accelerator (ISAC) facility at the Canadian TRIUMF laboratory passed a milestone on 28 July when the proton current on target was raised to 10 µA, making it the highest intensity isotope separator on-line (ISOL) radioactive ion beam facility. Current experiments focus on the very short-lived isotope rubidium-74, for which measurements of the half-life (65 ms) and branching ratios are expected to provide fundamental tests of the weak interaction.
Nuclear shape measurements are also under way using the low-temperature nuclear orientation (LTNO) facility from Oak Ridge. Experiments at lower intensity have been carried out since late November 1998 (CERN Courier March), when ISAC was first commissioned with a 1 µA proton beam. An initial test at 100 µA is planned for December 1999. Meanwhile, progress is on schedule with the radiofrequency quadrupole and drift-tube linac sections for the acceleration of the ions to 1.5 MeV/nucleon for nuclear astrophysics experiments at the end of 2000.
