Refining the nuclear mass surface with the mass of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mi>Sn</mml:mi> <mml:mprescripts/> <mml:none/> <mml:mn>103</mml:mn> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math>

Mass measurements with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer at CERN-ISOLDE improve mass uncertainties of neutron-deficient tin isotopes towards doubly magic <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <a:mmultiscripts> <a:mi>Sn</a:mi> <a:mprescripts/> <a:none/> <a:mn>100</a:mn> </a:mmultiscripts> </a:math> . The mass uncertainty of <b:math xmlns:b="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <b:mmultiscripts> <b:mi>Sn</b:mi> <b:mprescripts/> <b:none/> <b:mn>103</b:mn> </b:mmultiscripts> </b:math> was reduced by a factor of 4, and the new value for the mass excess of <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <c:mrow> <c:mo>−</c:mo> <c:mn>67104</c:mn> <c:mo>(</c:mo> <c:mn>18</c:mn> <c:mo>)</c:mo> <c:mspace width="0.16em"/> <c:mi mathvariant="normal">k</c:mi> <c:mi mathvariant="normal">e</c:mi> <c:mi mathvariant="normal">V</c:mi> </c:mrow> </c:math> is compared with nuclear and density functional theory calculations. Based on these results and local trends in the mass surface, the masses of <h:math xmlns:h="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <h:mmultiscripts> <h:mi>Sn</h:mi> <h:mprescripts/> <h:none/> <h:mrow> <h:mn>101</h:mn> <h:mo>,</h:mo> <h:mn>103</h:mn> </h:mrow> </h:mmultiscripts> </h:math> , as determined through their <i:math xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <i:msub> <i:mi>Q</i:mi> <i:mtext>EC</i:mtext> </i:msub> </i:math> values, were found to be inconsistent with the new results. From our measurement for <j:math xmlns:j="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <j:mmultiscripts> <j:mi>Sn</j:mi> <j:mprescripts/> <j:none/> <j:mn>103</j:mn> </j:mmultiscripts> </j:math> , we extrapolate the mass excess of <k:math xmlns:k="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <k:mmultiscripts> <k:mi>Sn</k:mi> <k:mprescripts/> <k:none/> <k:mn>101</k:mn> </k:mmultiscripts> </k:math> to <l:math xmlns:l="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <l:mrow> <l:mo>−</l:mo> <l:mn>60005</l:mn> <l:mo>(</l:mo> <l:mn>300</l:mn> <l:mo>)</l:mo> <l:mspace width="0.16em"/> <l:mi mathvariant="normal">k</l:mi> <l:mi mathvariant="normal">e</l:mi> <l:mi mathvariant="normal">V</l:mi> </l:mrow> </l:math> , which is significantly less bound than previously suggested. By correcting the mass values for <q:math xmlns:q="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <q:mmultiscripts> <q:mi>Sn</q:mi> <q:mprescripts/> <q:none/> <q:mrow> <q:mn>101</q:mn> <q:mo>,</q:mo> <q:mn>103</q:mn> </q:mrow> </q:mmultiscripts> </q:math> , we also adjust the values of <r:math xmlns:r="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <r:mmultiscripts> <r:mi>Sb</r:mi> <r:mprescripts/> <r:none/> <r:mn>104</r:mn> </r:mmultiscripts> <r:mo>,</r:mo> <r:mo> </r:mo> <r:mmultiscripts> <r:mi>Te</r:mi> <r:mprescripts/> <r:none/> <r:mrow> <r:mn>105</r:mn> <r:mo>,</r:mo> <r:mn>107</r:mn> </r:mrow> </r:mmultiscripts> <r:mo>,</r:mo> <r:mo> </r:mo> <r:mmultiscripts> <r:mi mathvariant="normal">I</r:mi> <r:mprescripts/> <r:none/> <r:mn>108</r:mn> </r:mmultiscripts> <r:mo>,</r:mo> <r:mo> </r:mo> <r:mmultiscripts> <r:mi>Xe</r:mi> <r:mprescripts/> <r:none/> <r:mrow> <r:mn>109</r:mn> <r:mo>,</r:mo> <r:mn>111</r:mn> </r:mrow> </r:mmultiscripts> </r:math> , and <t:math xmlns:t="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <t:mmultiscripts> <t:mi>Cs</t:mi> <t:mprescripts/> <t:none/> <t:mn>112</t:mn> </t:mmultiscripts> </t:math> near the proton drip line which are connected through their <u:math xmlns:u="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <u:mi>α</u:mi> </u:math> and proton <v:math xmlns:v="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <v:mi>Q</v:mi> </v:math> values. The results show an overall smoothening of the mass surface, suggesting the absence of deformation energy above the <w:math xmlns:w="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <w:mrow> <w:mi>N</w:mi> <w:mo>=</w:mo> <w:mn>50</w:mn> </w:mrow> </w:math> shell closure.