Abstract
The use of ion traps in precision measurements of various kinds has been growing rapidly in recent years. This review attempts to survey work in this area. It starts with a brief description of the two main types of ion traps and how they work, and discusses the different methods available for detection of ions in a trap and for reducing their kinetic energy. The main part of the review deals with measurements of the magnetic moments (g-factors) of electrons, positrons and ions in traps; precision mass determinations, especially for rare isotopes produced in small quantities; and measurements of microwave and optical transition frequencies in ions, especially with applications to frequency standards in mind. The review concludes with a very brief sketch of some of the other main uses of ion traps to date, touching on the study of quantum jumps and ion crystals, and the measurement of the lifetimes of excited electronic states of ions