The Canadian Penning Trap (CPT) is used to conduct precise mass measurements of nuclides available at the ATLAS facility. By measuring the cyclotron frequency of the ions, a precise determination of the mass can be made.
The CPT is currently situated at CARIBU, where neutron-rich isotopes are produced through the spontaneous fission of a 252Cf source that is in a gas catcher. Ions extracted from the gas catcher are sent through an isobar separator, a radio frequency buncher, and finally a multi-reflection, time-of-flight separator before being sent to the CPT for measurement.
The CPT is able to make mass measurements of nuclides relevant for studies of the astrophysical r process that is thought to be responsible for the creation of more than half of the elements in the universe.