The IONAS group studies the structure and properties of exotic (short-lived) nuclei far from the valley of stability. These nuclei are produced in nature during the burning phase of stars in nuclear fusion processes or supernova explosions. In the laboratory, such nuclei are produced at large accelerator facilities, such as the fragment separator at GSI in Darmstadt or TITAN at TRIUMF in Vancouver. In addition, the workgroup is involved in instrumental developments and applications in analytical mass spectrometry.