Sandwich targets of 0.5 mg/cm2 C with 4 mg/cm2 ferromagnetic Gd on 3 mg/cm2 Ta support with 3.5 mg/cm2 Cu backing

For high precision measurements of magnetic moments and reduced transition probabilities by the combined technique of projectile Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics and transient magnetic fields sandwich targets of carbon and gadolinium had to be developed. A Gd layer of 4 mg/cm2 was evaporated onto 1-3 mg/cm2 Ta backings heated to 800 K for optimum ferromagnetic properties of the Gd. A Cu film of 3.5 mg/cm2 was then deposited on the reverse side of the Ta backing. The Cu was required for stopping the Coulomb excited beam ions in a hyperfine interaction-free medium and for cooling the Gd film below its Curie temperature. The sandwich was then completed with 0.5 mg/cm2natC deposited onto the Gd. The adherence of evaporated carbon on the ferromagnetic gadolinium was found to be poor, and good results were not easily reproduced. Therefore, deposition of carbon by laser plasma ablation was also investigated