Heavy ion

Interview between Holger Klein and nuclear physicist Karlheinz Langanke about heavy ion research and the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research .

A heavy ion is an ion of particularly large mass ; however, there is no sharp limit beyond which an ion is considered “heavy”.

Heavy ions are of particular interest in particle physics , as they can easily be electrically accelerated due to their high electrical charge . Due to their large mass , they get a high momentum and high kinetic energy . This energy can then be released in collision processes.

Such experiments serve in particular to study the quark-gluon plasma . Another field of experimentation for heavy ions is the fusion of heavy atomic nuclei to form even heavier nuclei, which do not occur naturally due to their short half-lives (see Island of Stability ). There are practical applications of accelerated heavy ions z. B. in medicine ( heavy ion therapy ) and in concepts for inertial fusion .

As a heavy ion accelerator systems are called, which also beams of heavy ions - can provide - not just of protons, helium ions or other very light ions.

The GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research (formerly the Society for Heavy Ion Research ) in Darmstadt is one of the leading research institutions for heavy ion research.

See also

• Hydrogen-like ions

Individual evidence

1. ^ Resonator podcast of the Helmholtz Association : Heavy Ion Research (Volume 36, July 11, 2014).