Lowest energy nuclear state has been produced using SPring-8 high intense X-ray

―   A big step towards ultra-precision “Nuclear Clock”   ―

The joint research team based on Okayama university, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), RIKEN, Osaka University, Kyoto University, Tohoku university, and TU Wien successfully produced lowest energy nuclear state of Thorium-229 (isomeric state) using SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility for the first time. The team has developed a novel scheme for production of the isomeric state actively from the ground state. This scheme will be utilized for further detailed study on the isomeric state to realize an ultra-precision nuclear clock and its applications and fundamental research such as time-variaton of physics constants. 

Article Title  :  X-ray pumping of the 229Th nuclear clock isomer
Nature volume  573, 238–242 (2019)
DOI：10.1038/s41586-019-1542-3

Details of this news is also given in the following link.
https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/release/release_id658.html