Spin-polarized radioactive nuclei: from fundamental interactions, via nuclear structure, to biology
Magdalena Kowalska (CERN/ U Genf)

When we polarise the spins of unstable nuclei, their beta emission will be asymmetric, due to the parity non-conservation of the weak interaction. This feature has been used by our team in a variety of fields. It is a way to look for New Physics through the determination of the Vud matrix element of the CKM quark mixing matrix in nuclear mirror decays. In nuclear physics, in allows to apply an ultrasensitive type of NMR (called beta-NMR) to determine the magnetic dipole moments and electric quadrupole moments of short-lived nuclei. Recently, we have started applying beta-NMR to chemistry and biology, since its sensitivity is up to a billion times higher than in conventional NMR.
In this talk I will introduce spin polarisation via optical pumping and beta-NMR principles. I will present our experimental setup located at CERN/ISOLDE. Finally, I will discuss the three scientific topics: Vud from 35Ar decay, magnetic moment of 26Na with ppm accuracy, and the interaction of Na with DNA G-Quadruplex structures .