Resonant laser ionization of polonium at rilis-isolde for the study of ground- and isomer-state properties

Three new ionization schemes for polonium have been tested with the resonant ionization laser ion source (rilis) during the on-line production of 196Po in a UCx target at isolde. The saturation of the atomic transitions has been observed and the yields of the isotope chain 193–198,200,202,204Po have been measured. This development provides the necessary groundwork for performing in-source resonant ionization spectroscopy on the neutron-deficient polonium isotopes (Z=84).