An Estimation of the Isotope Shift and Hyperfine Splitting in the 6s 3/2 [3/2]₂ and 6p 3/2 [5/2]₃ States in ^129mXe, ^131mXe, ¹³³Xe, ^133mXe, ¹³⁵Xe

The leading candidates for remote detection of nuclear activity are Xe and its isotopes, particularly ^131mXe, ¹³³Xe, ^133mXe, and ¹³⁵Xe. In the past decade, a technology has emerged that is capable of separating and counting rare gas radioisotopes at sensitivities of 10^-16 using laser cooling and a Magneto-Optical Trap called Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA). This technique takes advantage of a cycling transition within the electronic energy level structure of Xe which varies between its isotopes. This variation, which gives ATTA greater selectivity than existing detection methods, is caused by changes in isotope mass, nuclear charge distribution, and nuclear spin. While the spectra for the stable isotopes of Xe on this transition have been documented, they are unknown for the radioisotopes of interest. For the ATTA system to quantify their abundance, their energy level shifts and splittings must be experimentally determined. These measurements are one goal of this ongoing research, however given the cost of obtaining these isotopes, it is desirable to have an estimate to guide the spectroscopy, which is the subject here.

PA#: USAFA-DF-2020-401