Nuclear isomers: discovery and application

Philip Walker (University of Surrey, UK)

With half-lives ranging from less than a nanosecond to many years, isomeric excitations of atomic nuclei are “useful” in a variety of ways. These include the exploration of exotic nuclei, probing astrophysical phenomena, and medical imaging. Furthermore, there is the potential for super-accurate timekeeping, as well as energy-storage applications. This talk will introduce the nuclear-structure requirements for nuclear isomerism, and discuss selected aspects of isomer discovery and manipulation.