TY - BOOK ID - 32076256 TI - On the Direct Detection of 229m Th PY - 2018 SN - 3319704613 3319704605 PB - Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Springer, DB - UniCat KW - Nuclear physics. KW - Atomic clocks. KW - Nuclear isomers. KW - Physics. KW - Heavy ions. KW - Hadrons. KW - Physical measurements. KW - Measurement. KW - Nuclear Physics, Heavy Ions, Hadrons. KW - Measurement Science and Instrumentation. KW - Atomic nuclei KW - Atoms, Nuclei of KW - Nucleus of the atom KW - Physics KW - Isomerism (Nuclear physics) KW - Isomers, Nuclear KW - Isomers (Nuclear physics) KW - Nuclear physics KW - Nuclides KW - Clocks, Atomic KW - Atomic frequency standards KW - Clocks and watches KW - Frequency standards KW - Measurement . KW - Measuring KW - Mensuration KW - Mathematics KW - Technology KW - Metrology KW - Physical measurements KW - Measurements, Physical KW - Mathematical physics KW - Measurement KW - Ions UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:32076256 AB - This thesis describes the first detection of a nuclear transition that had been sought for 40 years, and marks the essential first step toward developing nuclear clocks. Atomic clocks are currently the most reliable timekeepers. Still, they could potentially be outperformed by nuclear clocks, based on a nuclear transition instead of the atomic transitions employed to date. An elusive, extraordinary state in thorium-229 seems to be the only nuclear transition suitable for this purpose and feasible using currently available technology. Despite repeated efforts over the past 40 years, until recently we had not yet successfully detected the decay of this elusive state. Addressing this gap, the thesis lays the foundation for the development of a new, better frequency standard, which will likely have numerous applications in satellite navigation and rapid data transfer. Further, it makes it possible to improve the constraints for time variations of fundamental constants and opens up the field of nuclear coherent control. ER -