Cooling of Ions

Measuring the properties of heavy ions with high accuracy demands precise control of their
motional degrees of freedom in an isolated environment. Such a situation can be achieved by
combining modern cooling techniques with new means to trap and store the ions of interest. The first lecture will provide an overview of current state-of-the-art techniques to trap and store ions, including a comparison of the ion dynamics in the two most common types of ion traps, Penning and Paul traps, with the ion dynamics in storage rings.
This overview will be followed by an introduction to some widely used cooling techniques, focusing on sympathetic cooling and laser cooling. Based on this introduction the second lecture will give inside to current high accuracy experiments with ions in traps and storage rings with emphasis on sympathetic cooling of highly charged ions and laser cooling of ion beams. I will conclude with an outlook on future high accuracy measurements of heavy, unstable nuclei and accurate laser X-ray spectroscopy of Li-like and Na-like electronic transitions in heavy ions at future storage ring facilities.