On-Line Isotope Mass Separator
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The On-Line Isotope Mass Separator, also known as the ISOLDE Radioactive Ion Beam Facility, is a particle physics facility located at CERN on the PS Booster. It started operating in 1967 and was rebuilt twice with major upgrades in 1974 and 1992.
ISOLDE is dedicated to producing radioactive nuclei for a number of applications covering nuclear, atomic, molecular and solid-state physics, but also biophysics and astrophysics. The large variety of available species allows the systematic study of atomic and nuclear properties and exotic decays far from the line of stability. As of 2006, more than 60 physics experiments are active there.
The facility is operated by the ISOLDE Collaboration comprising CERN and 9 European countries.