Speeding up liquid-phase heavy element chemistry: Development of a vacuum to liquid transfer chamber (VLTC)

Abstract We present a new system, which is suitable for performing fast liquid phase chemistry experiments and gives access to shorter-lived isotopes of super heavy elements (SHE) than accessible with current techniques. With this novel vacuum to liquid transfer chamber (VLTC), which is mounted behind a physical preseparator, the desired isotopes are transported from the low-pressure side of the recoil separator directly into the liquid phase of a chemical experiment. Simulations on the kinematics of evaporation residues were performed using SRIM, validating the general plausibility of the VLTC concept. Subsequently, the feasibility was demonstrated with 250 , 252 Cf fission fragments, which were collected in dilute nitric acid, separated on an ion exchange column and measured by γ -ray spectroscopy . Finally, tests on the mechanical and chemical stability of the system as well as measurements of the residence time in the liquid phase were performed.