Laboratory magnetoplasmas as an ideal experimental environment for nuclear astrophysics β-decay studies

Abstract

The PANDORA project proposes a new experimental approach aimed at using laboratory magnetoplasmas (which emulate some stellar conditions) as an environment for in-plasma β-decays investigations. In the superconducting PANDORA trap, a hot plasma containing a known concentration of β-decaying atoms can be confined and kept in dynamic equilibrium for weeks. The decay rate can be measured by detecting the γ-rays emitted by the daughter nuclei (through HPGe detector array) and correlated with the charge state distribution of radioactive ions and with the plasma thermodynamic properties using a multi-diagnostic system, whose tools and techniques are here presented.