Laser-assisted decay spectroscopy for the ground states of 180,182Au

Laser-assisted decay spectroscopy of the ground states of ¹⁸⁰Au and ¹⁸²Au, tying the optical tag to the subsequent radioactive decay.

A laser step selects a state or isomer; the decay (typically α or β/γ) then identifies what was ionized. That coincidence is what separates overlapping gold ground and isomeric beams.

Neutron-deficient gold is crowded with isomers. Without the laser tag, decay spectra mix states. The method is how the ¹⁷⁸Au and ¹⁸⁷Au papers in this archive stay state-specific.