Direct mass measurements of cadmium and palladium isotopes and their double-beta transition Q-values

TL;DR

This study provides precise direct mass measurements of cadmium and palladium isotopes, determining their double-beta transition Q-values, and confirms recent measurements, impacting the understanding of double-electron capture processes.

Contribution

The paper presents the first direct mass measurements of specific cadmium and palladium isotopes and confirms recent Q-value measurements, refining nuclear data relevant to double-beta decay.

Findings

Q-value of Cd-108 measured as 272.04 keV

Confirmed Q-values of Cd-106 and Pd-110

Linked involved nuclides to atomic mass standard

Abstract

The Q-value of the double-electron capture in Cd-108 has been determined to be (272.04 +/- 0.55) keV in a direct measurement with the double-Penning trap mass spectrometer TRIGA-TRAP. Based on this result a resonant enhancement of the decay rate of Cd-108 is excluded. We have confirmed the double-beta transition Q-values of Cd-106 and Pd-110 recently measured with the Penning-trap mass spectrometers SHIPTRAP and ISOLTRAP, respectively. Furthermore, the atomic masses of the involved nuclides Cd-106, Cd-108, Cd-110, Pd-106, Pd-108 and Pd-110 have been directly linked to the atomic mass standard.