Letter of Intent to the ISOLDE and Neutron Time-of-Flight Experiments Committee for experiments with HIE-ISOLDE Masses of r-process waiting-point nuclides

The regions around possible waiting-point nuclei need to be studied to obtain valuable information for r-process models. In particular, masses around 80 Zn and 130 Cd need to be determined with high precision. Thanks to a sustained program of efficiency improvements, the mass measurements of ISOLTRAP have reached the region around the exotic waiting-point nuclides 80 Zn and 130 Cd. We intend to benefit from the complementary features of the HIEISOLDE energy upgrade – namely intensity and purification improvements of the ISOLDE facility – in order to determine the neutron-separation energies and shell gaps of these critical waiting points.