Journal Article

Progress in High-Precision Mass Measurements of Light Ions

Myers, Edmund G.

2024

Overview

Significant advances in Penning trap measurements of atomic masses and mass ratios of the proton, deuteron, triton, helion, and alpha-particle have occurred in the last five years. These include a measurement of the mass of the deuteron against 12C with 8.5 × 10−12 fractional uncertainty; resolution of vibrational levels of H2+ as mass and the application of a simultaneous measurement technique to the H2+/D+ cyclotron frequency ratio, yielding a deuteron/proton mass ratio at 5 × 10−12; new measurements of HD+/3He+, HD+/T+, and T+/3He+ leading to a tritium beta-decay Q-value with an uncertainty of 22 meV, and atomic masses of the helion and triton at 13 × 10−12; and a new measurement of the mass of the alpha-particle against 12C at 12 × 10−12. Some of these results are in strong disagreement with previous values in the literature. Their impact in determining a precise proton/electron mass ratio and electron atomic mass from spectroscopy of the HD+ molecular ion is also discussed.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Alpha rays / atomic mass / Atomic properties / Beta decay / Carbon 12 / Cyclotron frequency / Cyclotrons / Deuterons / Electron mass / Electrons / Experiments / fundamental constants / Helium / Hydrogen / Innovations / Ions / Light / Light ions / Magnetic fields / Mass ratios / Measurement / Mensuration / Methods / Molecular ions / Neutrinos / NMR / Nuclear magnetic resonance / Penning trap / Physics / precision measurement / Protons / Q values (nuclear physics) / Ratios / Tritium / Uncertainty