The ISOLDE laboratory – which uses 50 % of CERN’s proton pulses – is devoted to the production and research using unstable nuclei. Over 1000 different isotopes available at ISOLDE allow to test extensively the strong interaction in the nuclear medium and thus shed light on the nuclear structure across the nuclear chart. They also contribute to our understanding of the stellar nucleosynthesis.
This talk will concentrate on two probably less know aspects of ISOLDE research: Beyond Standard Model studies and life science applications. I will talk about super-allowed beta transitions that provide the most precise value of the Vud matrix element used to test the CKM unitarity or look for new physics. I will then show how radioactive molecules such as RaF are being prepared to search for anapole moments and permanent electric dipole moments. At the end, I’ll present how unstable nuclei from ISOLDE are part of novel approaches to medical diagnosis and more efficient cancer treatment plans.
M. Pepe-Altarelli, P. Silva