Post on 02-Jan-2016
Lise Meitner Prize of EPS
For outstanding contributions to Nuclear Science. Represents thebreadth and strength of Nuclear Physics in Europe.
• Awarded from 2000
• Open call for nominations
• Decision by the EPS Nuclear Physics Division, based on external referees, endorsed by the EPS Executive Committee
Lise Meitner Prize of EPS 2010 is awarded to
Juha Äystö
Department of Physics
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
for „accurate determination of nuclear fundamental properties by an
invention of innovative methods of ion guidance and its applications to
radioactive ion beams"
Laudatio
During the last decades the development of an important subfield of Nuclear Physics was characterised by the invention of methods for increasing the selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy in measurements of basic nuclear properties.
A key breakthrough in this direction was the development of the ingenious pioneering method of gas guidance of ion beams, as implemented by Professor Juha Äystö at the University of Jyväskylä in the mid-80's.
Laudatio
The ion-guide concept has since become universal for many different
nuclear reactions that cover almost all elements in the Periodic Table.
The basic idea was to thermalise the products in a noble buffer gas,
which resets the charge state of all ions to unity. The singly-charged
ions are rapidly extracted and transported by an ultrasonic jet into
the electrode system of a mass separator. Due to the speed, down to
milliseconds, and selectivity when combined with the isotope separator
the ion guide is an ideal tool for investigation of short-lived exotic
nuclides.
Laudatio
The awardee has developed the method further and exploited the
possibilities of the ion guide technique by combining it with novel
research methods and instruments like laser-spectroscopy and ion trap
set-ups at the IGISOL-facility in Jyväskylä.
Over the last twenty years the ion guide concept has also been
introduced throughout the world and many setups are already in
operation, under construction, or planned for the study of the physics
of nuclei, atoms and elementary particles.
Laudatio
Prof. Juha Äystö has obtained a very broad range of physics results at
different facilities. He began his spectroscopic studies in proton-rich
nuclei with beta-delayed one and two-proton decays. To the results
belongs the discovery of a series of Tz = -5/2 nuclei in the sd shell
via beta-delayed two-proton decay. Besides the numerous precise basic
data on binding energies, radii and reaction/decay energies, an
impressive variety of decay properties of ground and isomeric states
have been investigated. These provide important and necessary
information for nuclear structure, weak interaction physics (super
allowed beta decay with the check of unitarity of the CKM-matrix and
double beta decay), nuclear astrophysics processes (r and rp) etc.
Laudatio
In parallel with his successful scientific career with the highlight of the innovation of the ion guide, Prof. Äystö has played a leading role
in promoting nuclear physics in Finland and Europe.
The awardee has also served the European Nuclear Physics Community in various international scientific committees and panels.