Short-Lived Radioactive Molecules
Precision measurements of molecular systems provide highly sensitive laboratories for exploring the possible violation of fundamental symmetries and search for new physics beyond the standard model physics [Barr14,Demi17,Safr18]. Radioactive molecules compound of heavy and deformed short-lived isotopes are predicted to offer unprecedented sensitivity to investigate parity and time reversal violation effects. However, the experimental knowledge of short-lived radioactive molecules is scarce, and quantum chemistry calculations has constituted the only source of spectroscopy information.
[Barr14] Barry, J. et al. Nature 512, 286 (2014).
[Demi17] DeMille et al. Science 357, 990 (2017).
[Safr18] Safronova et al. Rev Mod Phys 90, 025008 (2018).
Challenging our understanding of the nuclear size
Radioactive molecules can be super cool!
Radioactive molecules containing heavy and deformed radioactive nuclei may help scientists to measure symmetry-violating phenomena and identify signs of dark matter.
2020 FRIB Visiting Scholar Award
Prof. Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz has been awarded the 2020 FRIB Visiting Scholar Program for Experimental Science award.
Molecular experiments hope to reveal new physics
Detecting short-lived radium fluoride can explore standard model’s limits. Even though radioactive radium fluoride molecules can exist for just a few days, scientists have made them and found that they could extend our fundamental understanding of physics.
Radioactive molecules @ ISOLDE-CERN
Our group at ISOLDE performed, for the first time, laser spectroscopy measurements of short-lived radioactive molecules. The result represents an essential step towards using these molecules for fundamental physics research and beyond
Charge radii of exotic copper isotopes
Charge radii measurements of exotic copper isotopes provide a deeper insight into our understanding of the microscopic origin of odd–even staggering of charge radii.
APS & MOORE Award
Prof. Garcia Ruiz was awarded a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Fundamental Physics Innovation Awards. This award will support the workshop “New Opportunities for Fundamental Physics Research with Radioactive Molecules” @ MIT in 2021.
Tin Gets Kinky
The observation that tin nuclei suddenly increase in size when the number of neutrons they contain reaches a “magic” number helps test models of nucleon interactions.
Science clubs for children
Our group participates actively in Science Clubs International. Sharing our love for science with vulnerable children from developing countries is one of the best tools to motivate future scientists and create social impact.
Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz was awarded the PhD Thesis prize 2018 from the European Physical Society. The prizes are assigned every three years and aim to recognize the excellence of recent PhD theses in experimental, theoretical or applied nuclear physics.
Interview Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz
Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz, lead scientist in the Calcium isotope study at the COLLAPS experiment (ISOLDE) explains the latest results.
Resonant Ionization Spectroscopy Technique Becomes Tabletop Friendly
A modified version of a spectroscopic technique used at large-scale radioactive-ion-beam facilities could be used in tabletop experiments.
Has the magic gone from Calcium-52?
CERN Researchers at ISOLDE facility show the supposedly doubly-magic nucleus 52Ca has an unexpectedly large charge radius
IOP Nuclear Physics Group early career researcher prize
Ronald Fernando Garcia Ruiz was awarded the 2018 IOP Nuclear Physics Group early career researcher prize.
Picking Nuclei with Lasers
A laser-based scheme allows the preparation of pure samples of nuclear isomers for spectroscopic analysis.
