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Abstract

THe-Trap is a Penning-trap experiment for precision mass measurements located at the Max
Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. A new python program and PHP
website were created for the data acquisition system and a new lock system was developed
using a Lock-In Amplifier. A gas injection system was developed and used for injecting and
trapping neon isotopes ²⁰Ne⁸⁺ and ²²Ne⁷⁺. Their masses were then measured with the use of
¹²C⁴⁺ as reference ions. The ²⁰Ne mass was measured with a relative uncertainty of 5.8 x 10^-10
and is within one standard deviation in comparison to the literature value, which has a relative
uncertainty of 8.4 x 10^-11. The ²²Ne mass was measured with a relative uncertainty of 7.7 x 10^-10
and is at a discrepancy of five standard deviations in comparison to the literature value, which
has a relative uncertainty of 8.2 x 10^-10. The relative uncertainties of both measurements are
limited by temporal variations of the magnetic field due to the long measurement times. Being
a light noble gas, neon is a part of the “Backbone of the Atomic Mass Evaluation”, such that it
is useful as a reference mass. Improving the mass uncertainty of neon can therefore improve
the uncertainty of measurements using it as a reference.