First
results obtained with a new type of an element‐selective laser ion
source for an on‐line mass separation are presented. The concept of the
ion source is based on laser resonance ionization of nuclear reaction
products thermalized in a high‐pressure noble gas. The fast and
universal thermalization of reaction products in combination with high
selectivity and high efficiency of resonance photo ionization allows to
develop an element‐pure source of short lived exotic nuclei..