ERC CoG Project MAIDEN

MAIDEN (MAsses, Isomers, and Decay studies for Elemental Nucleosynthesis) is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC Consolidator Grant 2017) under grant agreement No. 771036. It aims to explore neutron-rich radioactive nuclei to better understand the production of heavy elements in the Cosmos.
People in the IGISOL lab
Project duration
-
Core fields of research
Basic natural phenomena and mathematical thinking
Research areas
Accelerator and Subatomic Physics
Nuclear and accelerator based physics
Department
Department of Physics
Faculty
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Funding
European Research Council ERC

Project description

About half of the elements heavier than iron have been produced via the rapid neutron capture process, the r process. Its astrophysical site has been one of the biggest outstanding questions in physics. Neutrino-driven winds from proto-neutron stars created in core-collapse supernovae were long considered as the most favourable site for the r process. Recently, neutron-star mergers have become the most promising candidates, and new exciting observations from these compact objects, such as gravitational waves, are expected in the coming years. In order to constrain the astrophysical site for the r process, nuclear binding energies (i.e. masses) of exotic neutron-rich nuclei are needed because they determine the path for the process and therefore have a direct effect on the final elemental abundances. In this project, high precision mass measurements will be performed in three regions relevant for the r process, employing novel production and measurement techniques at the IGISOL facility in JYFL-ACCLAB. Long-living isomeric states, which also play a role in the r process, will be resolved from the ground states to obtain accurate mass values. Post-trap decay spectroscopy will be performed to confirm which state has been measured in order to avoid systematic uncertainties in the mass values. The new data will be compared with theoretical mass models and included in r-process calculations performed for various astrophysical sites. MAIDEN will advance our knowledge of nuclear structure far from stability and reduce nuclear data uncertainties in the r-process calculations, which can potentially constrain the astrophysical site for the r process and lead to a scientific breakthrough in our understanding of the origin of elements heavier than iron in the universe. More about nuclear astrophysics research of the group can be found here.

People
Principal Investigator, project leader: Professor Anu Kankainen

Maxime Mougeot, Postdoctoral researcher 
Marek Stryjczyk, Postdoctoral researcher 
Arthur Jaries, PhD student
Jouni Ruotsalainen, PhD student
Ville Virtanen, PhD student
Marjut Hukkanen, PhD student (cotutelle with the University of Bordeaux , -7/2023)
Lama Al Ayoubi, PhD student (cotutelle with the IJC Lab, Orsay, -6/2023)
Stylianos Nikas, Postdoctoral researcher (-5/2023)
Olga Beliuskina, Postdoctoral researcher (-6/2022)
Zhuang Ge, Postdoctoral researcher (10-11/2021)
Clément Delafosse, Postdoctoral researcher (9/2018-8/2020)
Dmitrii Nesterenko, Postdoctoral researcher (9/2019 -12/2021)
Alexandra Zadvornaya, Postdoctoral researcher (11/2018-12/2021)
Laetitia Canete, PhD student (-4/2019), Postdoctoral researcher (5/2019-8/2019)
Markus Vilén, PhD student (-9/2019)

The project received funding (1 999 575 EUR) from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC Consolidator Grant 2017) under grant agreement No. 771036. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was extended by 6 months.

Research

The masses and decay properties of neutron-rich nuclei are essential for understanding the rapid neutron capture process producing around half of the heavy-element abudances beyond iron. In this project, we have measured more than 100 atomic masses for exotic, radioactive isotopes using the JYFLTRAP Penning trap masss spectrometer at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility in the JYFL Accelerator Laboratory at the University of Jyväskylä. Around 30 of the measured masses belong to long-living excited states, isomers. In addition, the JYFLTRAP Penning trap has been utilised as a very high resolution mass separator in trap-assisted decay spectroscopy.  

Publications

Publication
2025

𝛽- and 𝛼-decay spectroscopy of 182Au

Physical Review C.
Mišt, J.
Andel, B.
Andreyev, A. N.
Barzakh, A. E.
Cubiss, J. G.
Algora, A.
Antalic, S.
Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis, M.
Au, M.
Bara, S.
Bark, R. A.
Borge, M. J. G.
Camaiani, A.
Chrysalidis, K.
Cocolios, T. E.
Costache, C.
De Witte, H.
Dong, R.Y.
Fedorov, D.V.
Fedosseev, V. N.
Fraile, L. M.
Fynbo, H. O. U.
Grzywacz, R.
Heinke, R.
Jiao, C. F.
Johnson, J.
Jones, P. M.
Judson, D. S.
Kattikat Melcom, D. T.
Khan, M. M.
Klimo, J.
Korgul, A.
Labiche, M.
Lică, R.
Liu, Z.
Madurga, M.
Marginean, N.
Marini, P.
Marsh, B. A.
Mihai, C.
Molkanov, P. L.
Nácher, E.
Neacsu, C.
Orce, J. N.
Page, R. D.
Pakarinen, J.
Papadakis, P.
Pascu, S.
Perea, A.
Piersa-Siłkowska, M.
Podolyák, Zs.
Seliverstov, M. D.
Sitarčík, A.
Stamati, E.
Stoica, A.
Stott, A.
Stryjczyk, M.
Tengblad, O.
Tsekhanovich, I.
Turturica, A.
Udías, J. M.
Van Duppen, P.
Warr, N.
Youssef, A.
Publication
2025

𝛽-delayed neutron spectroscopy of 85,86As with MONSTER at IGISOL

Physical Review C.
Pérez, de Rada Fiol A.
Martínez, T.
Cano-Ott, D.
Penttilä, H.
Agramunt, J.
Alcayne, V.
Algora, A.
Alhomaidhi, S.
Äystö, J.
Banerjee, K.
Beliuskina, O.
Benito, J.
Bhattacharya, C.
Calviño, F.
Cortés, G.
de Groote, R. P.
de Roubin, A.
Delafosse, C.
Domingo-Pardo, C.
Geldhof, S.
Gins, W.
Hukkanen, M.
Jokinen, A.
Kankainen, A.
Lerendegui-Marco, J.
Llanes Gamonoso, J.
Matea, I.
Mendoza, E.
Mistry, A. K.
Nesterenko, D. A.
Plaza, J.
Pohjalainen, I.
Rinta-Antila, S.
Roy, P.
Sanchez-Caballero, A.
Taín, J. L.
Villamarín, D.
Vilen, M.
Publication
2025

β-delayed spectroscopy of 80Ge48 and competition between Gamow-Teller and first-forbidden transitions in 80g+mGa49 β decay

Physical Review C.
Li, R.
Verney, D.
Matea, I.
Harakeh M., N.
Delafosse, C.
Didierjean, F.
Ebata, S.
Ayoubi L., A.
Al Falou, H.
Benzoni, G.
Le Blanc, F.
Bozkurt, V.
Ciemała, M.
Deloncle, I.
Fallot, M.
Gaulard, C.
Gottardo, A.
Guadilla, V.
Guillot, J.
Hadyńska-Klęk, K.
Ibrahim, F.
Jovancevic, N.
Kankainen, A.
Lebois, M.
Martínez, T.
Napiorkowski, P.
Roussiere, B.
Sobolev Yu., G.
Stefan, I.
Stukalov, S.
Thisse, D.
Tocabens, G.
Publication
2024

Detailed structure of 131Sn populated in the 𝛽 decay of isomerically purified 131In states

Physical Review C.
Benito, J.
Fraile, L. M.
Korgul, A.
Piersa-Siłkowska, M.
Jaries, A.
Stryjczyk, M.
Adamska, E.
Álvarez-Rodríguez, R.
Andreyev, A. N.
Barzakh, A. E.
Benzoni, G.
Berry, T.
Borge, M. J. G.
Carmona, M.
Chrysalidis, K.
Costache, C.
Cubiss, J. G.
Day Goodacre, T.
De Witte, H.
Eronen, T.
Fedorov, D. V.
Fedosseev, V. N.
Fernández-Martínez, G.
Fijałkowska, A.
Fila, M.
Fynbo, H.
Galaviz, D.
Galve, P.
García-Díez, M.
Ge, Z.
Greenlees, P. T.
Grzywacz, R.
Henrich, C.
Huyse, M.
Ibáñez, P.
Illana, A.
Janas, Z.
Jolie, J.
Judson, D. S.
Kankainen, A.
Karayonchev, V.
Kicińska-Habior, M.
Konki, J.
Kurcewicz, J.
Lazarus, I.
Lică, R.
López-Montes, A.
Lund, M.
Mach, H.
Madurga, M.
Mărginean, N.
Mărginean, R.
Marroquín, I.
Marsh, B. A.
Martínez, M. C.
Mazzocchi, C.
Miernik, K.
Mihai, C.
Mihai, R. E.
Mougeot, M.
Murias, J. R.
Nácher, E.
Negret, A.
Olaizola, B.
Page, R. D.
Paulauskas, S. V.
Pascu, S.
Perea, A.
Pucknell, V.
Raggio, A.
Rahkila, P.
Raison, C.
Rapisarda, E.
Régis, J.-M.
Rezynkina, K.
Rotaru, F.
Rothe, S.
Ruotsalainen, J.
Sánchez-Parcerisa, D.
Sánchez-Tembleque, V.
Schomacker, K.
Simpson, G. S.
Sotty, Ch.
Stan, L.
Stănoiu, M.
Tengblad, O.
Turturica, A.
Udías, J. M.
Van Duppen, P.
Vedia, V.
Villa-Abaunza, A.
Viñals, S.
Wadsworth, R.
Walters, W. B.
Warr, N.
IDS and IGISOL Collaboration
Publication
2024

Fast-timing Investigation of A=128 Isobars Populated in the β-decay of 128Cd

Mazurian Lakes Conference on Physics. Acta Physica Polonica B : Proceedings Supplement. Jagiellonian University.
Llanos-Expósito, M.
Fraile, L.M.
Benito, J.
Acosta, J.
Algora, A.
Andel, B.
Andreyev, A.N.
Antalic, S.
Bark, R.A.
Bernerd, C.
Bernier, N.
Bhengu, B.
Bittner, D.
Borge, M.J.G.
Briz, J.A.
Chrysalidis, K.
Cocolios, T.E.
Costache, C.
Cubiss, J.G.
De Witte, H.
Encina, N.
Esmaylzadeh, A.
Favier, Z.
Fernández, D.
Ferrera, C.
Fynbo, H.O.U.
García-Távora, V.
Georgiev, G.
Górska, M.
Heinke, R.
Herraiz, J.L.
Illana, A.
Jones, P.
Judson, D.S.
Jungclaus, A.
Karny, M.
Korgul, A.
Köster, U.
Kröll, Th.
Labiche, M.
Lalkovski, S.
Lesch, B.
Ley, M.
Lică, R.
Madurga, M.
Mărginean, N.
Marsh, B.A.
Miernik, K.
Mihai, C.
Mikolajczuk, M.
Mišt, J.
Murias, J.R.
Nácher, E.
Neacsu, C.
Nouvilas, V.M.
Ntshangase, S.
Olaizola, B.
Orce, J.N.
Page, C.
Pakarinen, J.
Papadakis, P.
Perea, A.
Piersa-Siłkowska, M.
Podolyak, Zs.
Rog, J.
Rothe, S.
Rozwoda, B.
Sánchez-Tembleque, V.
Solak, K.
Stegemann, S.
Stepaniuk, M.
Stoica, A.
Stryjczyk, M.
Tengblad, O.
Turturica, A.
Turturica, G.
Udías, J.M.
Ujeniuc, S.
Van Duppen, P.
von Tresckow, M.
Vasilev, I.
Warr, N.
Yue, Z.
Zajda, S.
Publication
2024

First investigation on the isomeric ratio in multinucleon transfer reactions : Entrance channel effects on the spin distribution

Physics Letters B.
Kumar, D.
Dickel, T.
Zadvornaya, A.
Beliuskina, O.
Kankainen, A.
Constantin, P.
Purushothaman, S.
Spataru, A.
Stryjczyk, M.
Al Ayoubi, L.
Brunet, M.
Canete, L.
Delafosse, C.
de Groote, R.P.
de Roubin, A.
Eronen, T.
Ge, Z.
Gins, W.
Hornung, C.
Hukkanen, M.
Illana, A.
Jokinen, A.
Kahl, D.
Kindler, B.
Lommel, B.
Mardor, I.
Moore, I.D.
Nesterenko, D.A.
Nichita, D.
Nikas, S.
Ortiz-Cortes, A.
Penttilä, H.
Podolyák, Zs.
Pohjalainen, I.
Raggio, A.
Reponen, M.
Rinta-Antila, S.
Romero, J.
Saren, J.
Vilen, M.
Virtanen, V.
Weaver, A.
Winfield, J.
Publication
2024

First Study of the 139Ba(𝑛,𝛾)140Ba Reaction to Constrain the Conditions for the Astrophysical 𝑖 Process

Physical Review Letters.
Spyrou, A.
Mücher, D.
Denissenkov, P. A.
Herwig, F.
Good, E. C.
Balk, G.
Berg, H. C.
Bleuel, D. L.
Clark, J. A.
Dembski, C.
DeYoung, P. A.
Greaves, B.
Guttormsen, M.
Harris, C.
Larsen, A. C.
Liddick, S. N.
Lyons, S.
Markova, M.
Mogannam, M. J.
Nikas, S.
Owens-Fryar, J.
Palmisano-Kyle, A.
Perdikakis, G.
Pogliano, F.
Quintieri, M.
Richard, A. L.
Santiago-Gonzalez, D.
Savard, G.
Smith, M. K.
Sweet, A.
Tsantiri, A.
Wiedeking, M.
Publication
2024

High-Precision Mass Measurements of Neutron Deficient Silver Isotopes Probe the Robustness of the N=50 Shell Closure

Physical Review Letters.
Ge, Zhuang
Reponen, Mikael
Eronen, Tommi
Hu, Baishan
Kortelainen, Markus
Kankainen, Anu
Moore, Iain
Nesterenko, Dmitrii
Yuan, Cenxi
Beliuskina, Olga
Cañete, Laetitia
de Groote, Ruben
Delafosse, Clément
Dickel, Timo
de Roubin, Antoine
Geldhof, Sarina
Gins, Wouter
Holt, Jason D.
Hukkanen, Marjut
Jaries, Arthur
Jokinen, Ari
Koszorús, Ágota
Kripkó-Koncz, Gabriella
Kujanpää, Sonja
Lam, Yi Hua
Nikas, Stylianos
Ortiz-Cortes, Alejandro
Penttilä, Heikki
Pitman-Weymouth, Daniel
Plaß, Wolfgang
Pohjalainen, Ilkka
Raggio ,Andrea
Rinta-Antila, Sami
Romero, Jorge
Stryjczyk, Marek
Vilen, Markus
Virtanen, Ville
Zadvornaya, Alexandra
Publication
2024

High-precision measurements of the atomic mass and electron-capture decay Q value of 95Tc

Physics Letters B.
Ge, Zhuang
Eronen, Tommi
Sevestrean, Vasile Alin
Niţescu, Ovidiu
Stoica, Sabin
Ramalho, Marlom
Suhonen, Jouni
de Roubin, Antoine
Nesterenko, Dmitrii
Kankainen, Anu
Ascher, Pauline
Ayet, San Andres Samuel
Beliuskina, Olga
Delahaye, Pierre
Flayol, Mathieu
Gerbaux, Mathias
Grévy, Stéphane
Hukkanen, Marjut
Jaries, Arthur
Jokinen, Ari
Husson, Audric
Kahl, Daid
Kostensalo, Joel
Kotila, Jenni
Moore, Iain
Nikas, Stylianos
Stryjczyk, Marek
Virtanen, Ville
Publication
2024

Isospin symmetry breaking in the T=1, A=70 triplet

Physical Review C.
Zimba, G. L.
Ruotsalainen, P.
De Gregorio, G.
de Angelis, G.
Sarén, J.
Uusitalo, J.
Auranen, K.
Briscoe A., D.
Ge, Z.
Grahn, T.
Greenlees, P. T.
Illana, A.
Jenkins, D. G.
Joukainen, H.
Julin, R.
Jutila, H.
Kankainen, A.
Louko, J.
Luoma, M.
Ojala, J.
Pakarinen, J.
Raggio, A.
Rahkila, P.
Romero, J.
Stryjczyk, M.
Tolosa-Delgado, A.
Wadsworth, R.
Zadvornaya, A.

Project team

Project leaders

Anu Kankainen
Anu Kankainen
Academy Professor

Research groups

The exotic nuclei and beams group
Research group

Exotic nuclei and beams (IGISOL)

The exotic nuclei and beams group studies properties of nuclei employing Penning-trap mass spectrometry as well as laser and decay spectroscopy at the IGISOL facility.