Subj:	Triumf
Date:	98-12-01 21:31:49 EST


****  NEWS FROM TRIUMF, VANCOUVER, CANADA ****

ISAC EXTRACTS FIRST SHORT-LIVED EXOTIC BEAM

On Monday, November 30, 1998, the new ISAC facility at TRIUMF produced
its first ion beam with short-lived exotic isotopes.  Low energy beams of
potassium (atomic mass numbers 37 & 38) were transported from a
proton-bombarded target in ISAC through a high-resolution mass-separator
system to the first experimental station.  This milestone was achieved
slightly more than one month ahead of the initial estimates.  The first
experiment will be investigating weak interaction symmetries in the
decay of optically trapped potassium isotopes.

ISAC (Isotope Separation and Acceleration) uses the ISOL (on-line
isotope separation) technique to produce short-lived exotic nuclei.  In this
method, the exotic nuclei are created through a reaction between the
primary proton beam and a thick target.  While this first beam was
created with only 0.5 micro-amperes of proton current on the production target,
over the next few years the current on target will gradually be
increased to the 100 micro-amperes design-level.   

Additional experiments using a yield station and a general-purpose
station to measure precise lifetimes of exotic nuclei will begin operation in
the next two weeks.  A beta NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) station using
polarized lithium 8 for condensed matter studies and a low-temperature
nuclear-orientation station are scheduled to begin operation in the fall
of 1999. Completion of this first phase of the facility (ISAC-I) is
expected in late 2000 when accelerated beams up to 1.5 MeV/amu (atomic mass unit)
become available for nuclear astrophysics measurements. 

ISAC is a new generation ISOL facility that will maintain Canada's
international leadership in Nuclear Physics research.  Construction of
ISAC began after approval was announced in June 1995.   The province of
British Columbia funded the civil construction.  The government of Canada funded
the technical construction and the facility operation.  In order to
exploit the full scientific potential of the ISAC facility, TRIUMF has recently
proposed to begin constructing the second stage of ISAC during the next
five-year period beginning April 2000.  In this second phase the maximum
energy of the ISAC accelerated beams would be increased a factor of five
up to 6.5 MeV/amu.

****  NEWS FROM TRIUMF, VANCOUVER, CANADA ****