A Laser Ablation Source (LAS) has been developed at the Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap (LEBIT) mass spectrometry facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. LAS enhances the offline capability of LEBIT providing increased access to ions for measurements of scientific interest as well as for calibration measurements and checks of systematic effects. The design and implementation of LAS are described in this work.Carbon cluster ions produced via laser ablation were used to probe LEBIT mass-dependent systematic effects. Since carbon cluster ions span the entire nuclear chart and have essentially no mass uncertainty, they are the ideal tool for these studies. As part of this thesis work, frequency shifts across a 108 u mass range were quantified and found to lead to a relative error in mass determination less than 10-9/u.LAS was operated in tandem with the surface ion source to produce ions of 48Ca-+ and 48Ti+ for the first direct measurement of the 48Ca double beta decay Q value. Accurate knowledge of this Q value is important for experiments that employ 48Ca for neutrinoless double beta decay searches. The LEBIT high precision Penning trap Q value measurement revealed a 3 &sigma shift from the previously accepted value and reduced the uncertainty by a factor of five. The measurement procedure and results are discussed in this thesis.The first direct determination of the 78Kr double electron Q value was accomplished at the LEBIT facility. This determination indicates a 2 &sigma shift from the previously accepted value and reduces the uncertainty by a factor of three. With the improved Q value determination, the resonance condition was explored for various double electron captures. The potential for resonance enhancement is evaluated, and the viability of 78Kr as a candidate for neutrinoless double electron capture experiments is discussed.
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