The LEBIT 9.4T Penning trap mass spectrometer

Presented is a detailed description of the LEBIT 9.4T Penning trap mass spectrometer installed at the NSCL, located at Michigan State University. LEBIT is the first facility designed to perform mass measurements of rare isotopes produced via projectile fragmentation of stable, relativistic primary beams. Due to the short half-lives and low production rates of rare isotopes far from the valley of stability the LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometer has been optimized for high precision in short measurement times. The employment of a 9.4T magnetic field, a high-precision electrode system, fast magnetron orbit preparation, stabilization of the magnetic field, and in-flight beam purification of non-isobaric contaminants all contribute to this end. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.