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Collinear laser spectroscopy
Atomic physics and optical techniques have played an important role to study the behavior of nuclear matter at low excitation energy. Through the observation of the magnetic and electrostatic hyperfine structure in optical spectra as well as the influence of the nuclear charge radii on the isotope shifts between different isotopes of a given element, nuclear moments can be measured. These nuclear moments (radii, magnetic dipole, electric quadrupole) can be determined in a model independent way and they provide direct information on the nuclear structure (occupation of single particle orbits, collectivity and deformation) as well as a stringent test for nuclear models.
The neutron rich N=50 region towards 78Ni and the N=82 region around 132Sn is of particular interest for astrophysical as well as for nuclear structure reasons. Measurement of the changes in the mean square charge radii can provide clear signatures for changes in the nuclear deformation with increasing N, and in combination with measurements of the matter radii, one can determine the neutron skin thickness for nuclei far from stability. A key element for such studies is germanium, whose isotopes are produced in large quantities in neutron stars.