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    Enhanced yield rate of Th229m via cascade decay in storage rings and electron beam ion traps

    Yumiao Wang, Yi Yang, Yixin Li, Ding Yue, Kai Zhao, Youjing Wang, Changbo Fu*, and Yugang Ma

    • Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MoE), Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China

    • *Contact author: cbfu@fudan.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. C 113, 054602 – Published 7 May, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/82cg-pkxb

    Abstract

    The low-energy nuclear isomeric state of Th229m provides a unique bridge between nuclear and atomic physics, enabling applications such as nuclear clocks and precision metrology. However, efficient and controllable production of Th229m remains a major experimental challenge. We propose an efficient scheme to produce the Th229m in storage rings (SRs) and electron beam ion traps (EBITs), using a cascade decay pathway. Highly charged ions are excited to higher nuclear states via nuclear excitation by inelastic electron scattering (NEIES) and nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC), followed by radiative or internal conversion cascades that populate the isomer. Our calculations demonstrate that, under typical SRs and EBITs conditions, optimized indirect excitation pathways significantly enhance Th229m production rate. In particular, NEIES can provide an enhancement of up to four orders of magnitude through cascade deexcitation at high energies, while NEEC can contribute an additional enhancement of up to several tens of times. Such a significant increase in the Th229m yield rate would facilitate its application in various nuclear photonics fields, especially in the development of atomic nuclear clocks.

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