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Future Experiment
In order to improve mass measurements on short-lived radio nuclides the current relative precision of 8E-9 has to be enhanced. A relative precision of < 1E-10 would allow for the measurement of electron binding energies as well as for tests of the CPT theorem. Together with the production and use of highly charged ions up to bare uranium, this opens a wide field of new physical objectives for Penning trap mass spectrometry. A test of QED with highly charged ions is one example.
For this purpose a novel 4-trap mass spectrometer is developed. For the first time a "monitor trap" is used for permanent observation and control of the magnetic field, which probably is the most critical parameter concerning precision experiments in Penning traps. A trap tower with three storage regions allows for an extremely fast sequence of calibration and measurement. This should remarkably suppress systematic uncertainties. Since the trap tower is based on a cylindrical Penning trap geometry, modern cooling methods such as laser cooling can be applied directly in the trap. The figure shows the current design.
