Laser-assisted decay spectroscopy and mass spectrometry of 178Au

Combined laser-assisted decay spectroscopy and mass spectrometry of ¹⁷⁸Au, so the same nucleus is identified optically, by decay, and by mass.

ISOLDE gold beams go through a laser step, a decay station, and ISOLTRAP mass measurement. That triad separates ground state from isomers in a very neutron-deficient gold isotope.

¹⁷⁸Au is further from stability than ¹⁸⁰,¹⁸²Au. Doing laser, decay, and mass on one species is how overlapping states in this region stop being ambiguous.