Low-energy fission investigated in reactions of 750 AMeV 238U-ions with Pb and Be targets

Charge distributions of fragments from low energy nuclear fission are investigated in reactions of highly fissile238U projectiles at relativistic energies (750 A·MeV) with a heavy (Pb) and a light (Be) target. The fully stripped fission fragments are separated by the Fragment Separator (FRS). Their high kinetic energies in the laboratory system allow the identification of all atomic numbers by using Multiple-Sampling Ionization Chambers (MUSIC). The elemental distributions of fragments observed at larger magnetic rigidities than the238U projectiles show asymmetric break-up and odd-even effects. They indicate a low energy fission process, induced mainly by dissociation in the electro-magneti…

On-line commissioning of SHIPTRAP

Abstract The on-line commissioning of the Penning-trap mass spectrometer SHIPTRAP was successfully completed with a mass measurement of holmium and erbium radionuclides produced at SHIP. A large fraction of contaminant ions created in the stopping cell was identified to originate from the buffer-gas supply system. Using a liquid nitrogen cold trap they were reduced to a tolerable amount and mass measurements of Er 147 , Er 148 , and Ho 147 with relative uncertainties of about 1 × 1 0 − 6 were performed.

Three-body correlations in electromagnetic dissociation of Borromean nuclei: The 6He case

20 pages, 2 tables, 9 figures, 1 appendix.-- PACS nrs.: 25.60.-t; 27.20.+n; 25.70.De; 25.75.Gz.-- Printed version published Sep 5, 2005.

Precision experiments with time-resolved Schottky mass spectrometry

Abstract A large area on the mass surface of neutron-deficient nuclides (36≤Z≤85) was measured with time-resolved Schottky mass spectrometry at the FRS-ESR facilities. The masses of 114 nuclides were obtained for the first time from which 43 were determined via known decay energies. The improved mass accuracy of 30 keV allowed to study the isospin dependence of nuclear pairing, to precisely locate the one-proton dripline for odd-Z isotopes from Tb to Pa and to make crucial tests of the predictive powers of modern mass models.

Exclusive measurements of nuclear breakup reactions of 17Ne

F. Wamers et al.; 4 pags.; 2 figs. Open Access funded by Creative Commons Atribution Licence 2.0

Coulomb dissociation of 27P

International audience; In this work the astrophysical 26Si(p,γ)27P reaction is studied using the Coulomb dissociation technique. We performed a 27P Coulomb Dissociation experiment at GSI, Darmstadt (28 May-5 June 2007) using the ALADIN-LAND setup which allows complete-kinematic studies. A secondary 27P beam at 498 AMeV impinging a 515mg/cm2 Pb target was used. The relative energy of the outgoing system (26Si+p) is measured obtaining the resonant states of the 27P. Preliminary results show four resonant states measured at 0.36±0.07, 0.88±0.09, 1.5±0.2, 2.3±0.3 MeV and evidence of a higher state at around 3.1 MeV. The preliminary total cross section obtained for relative energies between 0 a…

Comparison of electromagnetic and nuclear dissociation of Ne-17

8 pags., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

Invariant mass spectrum and α-n correlation function studied in the fragmentation of 6He on a carbon target

13 pags, 5 figures.-- PACS nrs.: 24.60.−t; 25.70.Ef; 27.20.+n.

Spectroscopy of nuclei approaching the proton drip-line using a secondary-fragmentation technique with the RISING detector array

An experiment utilizing a double fragmentation reaction was performed to study isobaric analogue states in A similar to 50 nuclei approaching the proton drip-line. gamma-ray spectroscopy will be used to identify excited states in the neutron-deficient nuclei produced in the second fragmentation reaction. Excited state level schemes will be obtained, through comparison with states in their well-known mirror partners, along with information on Coulomb effects through measurements of the Coulomb energy differences between isobaric analogue excited states. The validity of isospin symmetry for nuclei approaching the proton drip-line can also be investigated and the information gained will aid in…

Measurements of the dipole response with radioactive beams

Separation of atomic and molecular ions by ion mobility with an RF carpet

Gas-filled stopping cells are used at accelerator laboratories for the thermalization of high-energy radioactive ion beams. Common challenges of many stopping cells are a high molecular background of extracted ions and limitations of extraction efficiency due to space-charge effects. At the FRS Ion Catcher at GSI, a new technique for removal of ionized molecules prior to their extraction out of the stopping cell has been developed. This technique utilizes the RF carpet for the separation of atomic ions from molecular contaminant ions through their difference in ion mobility. Results from the successful implementation and test during an experiment with a 600~MeV/u $^{124}$Xe primary beam are…

Systematic investigation of the drip-line nuclei 11Li and 14Be and their unbound subsystems 10Li and 13Be

Fragmentation reactions in a carbon target with beams of 11Li and 14Be at relativistic energies have been studied in a kinematically complete experiment at the ALADIN-LAND setup at GSI. Excited states in 11Li and 14Be were obtained from the data in the inelastic channel. The measured cross sections with the core nucleus in the final state show that in the 14Be case core polarization plays an important role. In the one-neutron knockout channels the measured angular correlations between fragment and neutron are asymmetric, which demonstrates the presence of states with different parities in the 11Li and 14Be ground states. For 10Li a low-lying virtual s-state, a p-state and evidence for a d-s…

Multi-nucleon transfer reactions at ion catcher facilities : a new way to produce and study heavy neutron-rich nuclei

Abstract The production of very neutron-rich nuclides heavier than fission fragments is an ongoing experimental challenge. Multi-nucleon transfer reactions (MNT) have been suggested as a method to produce these nuclides. By thermalizing the reaction products in gas-filled stopping cells, we can deliver them as cooled high-quality beams to decay, laser and mass spectrometry experiments. High precision mass spectrometry will allow for the first time to universally and unambiguously identify the atomic and proton numbers of the ions produced in MNT reactions. In this way their ground and isomeric state properties can be studied in high-precision measurements. In experiments at IGISOL, Finland …

Thermonuclear reactionS30(p,γ)Cl31studied via Coulomb breakup ofCl31

Coulomb breakup at high energy in inverse kinematics of proton-rich Cl-31 was used to constrain the thermonuclear S-30(p,gamma)Cl-31 capture reaction rate under typical Type I x-ray burst conditions. This reaction is a bottleneck during rapid proton-capture nucleosynthesis (rp process), where its rate depends predominantly on the nuclear structure of Cl-31. Two low-lying states just above the proton-separation threshold of S-p = 296( 50) keV in Cl-31 have been identified experimentally using the (RB)-B-3-LAND setup at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung GmbH. Both states are considered to play a key role in the thermonuclear S-30( p,gamma)Cl-31 capture reaction. Excitation ene…

Walter Greiner, a Pioneer in Super Heavy Element Research Historical Remarks and New Experimental Developments

With his theoretical work Walter Greiner pioneered super-heavy element research. He motivated the young scientists and actively shaped the profile of the Gesellschaft fur SchwerIonenforschung, GSI, Darmstadt. We are happy that still during his lifetime we at GSI could prove some of his predictions: Fusion with magic nuclei and super heavy elements, the nuclear species existing only by shell stabilization. With the discovery of oganesson, Z = 118, the heaviest element known today, we have come to the end of super heavy-element production by the fusion of magic nuclei. In-flight separation and new experimental developments including Walter Greiner’s new ideas for SHE synthesis will be discuss…

First Measurement of Severalβ-Delayed Neutron Emitting Isotopes BeyondN=126

The β-delayed neutron emission probabilities of neutron rich Hg and Tl nuclei have been measured together with β-decay half-lives for 20 isotopes of Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi in the mass region N≳126. These are the heaviest species where neutron emission has been observed so far. These measurements provide key information to evaluate the performance of nuclear microscopic and phenomenological models in reproducing the high-energy part of the β-decay strength distribution. This provides important constraints on global theoretical models currently used in r-process nucleosynthesis.

Few-neutron removal from238U at relativistic energies

As part of a comprehensive study of uranium fragmentation at relativistic energies at the GSI projectile fragment separator, FRS, inclusive neutron-removal cross sections have been measured for severalxn channels at projectile energies of 600 and 950A MeV using targets of Al, Cu and Pb. The variation of the experimental cross sections with target nuclear charge is used to disentangle nuclear and electromagnetic contributions. The electromagnetic cross sections agree surprisingly well with a simple harmonic oscillator calculation of giant dipole resonances based on measured photonuclear cross sections and do not require an extra enhancement of the two-phonon giant dipole excitation as conclu…

Measurement of the Dipole Polarizability of the Unstable Neutron-Rich NucleusNi68

The E1 strength distribution in Ni68 has been investigated using Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics at the RB3-LAND setup and by measuring the invariant mass in the one- and two-neutron decay channels. The giant dipole resonance and a low-lying peak (pygmy dipole resonance) have been observed at 17.1(2) and 9.55(17) MeV, respectively. The measured dipole polarizability is compared to relativistic random phase approximation calculations yielding a neutron-skin thickness of 0.17(2) fm. A method and analysis applicable to neutron-rich nuclei has been developed, allowing for a precise determination of neutron skins in nuclei as a function of neutron excess.

Mass measurement of cooled neutron-deficient bismuth projectile fragments with time-resolved Schottky mass spectrometry at the FRS-ESR facility

Masses of 582 neutron-deficient nuclides ($30\leq{Z}\leq{85}$) were measured with time-resolved Schottky mass spectrometry at the FRS-ESR facility at GSI, 117 were used for calibration. The masses of 71 nuclides were obtained for the first time. A typical mass accuracy of 30 $\mu$u was achieved. These data have entered the latest atomic mass evaluation. The mass determination of about 140 additional nuclides was possible via known energies ($Q$-values) of $\alpha-$, $\beta-$, or proton decays. The obtained results are compared with the results of other measurements.

Exclusive measurement of breakup reactions with the one-neutron halo nucleus11Be

Electromagnetic and nuclear inelastic scattering of the halo nucleus ${}^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ have been investigated by a measurement of the one-neutron removal channel, utilizing a secondary ${}^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ beam with an energy of 520 MeV/nucleon impinging on lead and carbon targets. All decay products, i.e., ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ fragments, neutrons, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays have been detected in coincidence. Partial cross sections for the population of ground and excited states in ${}^{10}\mathrm{Be}$ were determined for nuclear diffractive breakup as well as for electromagnetically induced breakup. The partial cross sections for ground-state transitions have been differentiated fur…

Rate capability of a cryogenic stopping cell for uranium projectile fragments produced at 1000 MeV/u

At the Low-Energy Branch (LEB) of the Super-FRS at FAIR, projectile and fission fragments will be produced at relativistic energies, separated in-flight, energy-bunched, slowed down and thermalized in a cryogenic stopping cell (CSC) filled with ultra-pure He gas. The fragments are extracted from the stopping cell using a combination of DC and RF electric fields and gas flow. A prototype CSC for the LEB has been developed and successfully commissioned at the FRS Ion Catcher at GSI. Ionization of He buffer gas atoms during the stopping of energetic ions creates a region of high space charge in the stopping cell. The space charge decreases the extraction efficiency of stopping cells since the …

Summary of the HypHI Phase 0 experiment and future plans with FRS at GSI (FAIR Phase 0)

WOS: 000381331200014

Development of quadrupole collectivity in the neutron-rich Ni, Zn, Ge, and Se isotopes

An experiment was performed to study the collective properties of neutron-rich Ni, Zn, Ge, and Se isotopes. Of particular interest is the vicinity of the N = 50 and Z = 28 shell closures. For most neutron-rich nuclei in this region of the chart of nuclei the B(E2) values of the transitions from the ground to the first excited 2+ states are unknown. This information would give valuable insight into the changes in nuclear structure when going to more neutron-rich nuclei.

Two- and three-body correlations: breakup of halo nuclei

4 pages, 2 figures.

Nuclear structure “southeast” ofPb208: Isomeric states inHg208andTl209

The nuclear structure of neutron-rich N>126 nuclei has been investigated following their production via relativistic projectile fragmentation of a E/A=1 GeV U-238 beam. Metastable states in the N=128 isotones Hg-208 and Tl-209 have been identified. Delayed gamma-ray transitions are interpreted as arising from the decay of I-pi=(8(+)) and (17/2(+)) isomers, respectively. The data allow for the so far most comprehensive verification of the shell-model approach in the region determined by magic numbers Z 126.

Lithium isotopes beyond the drip line

The unbound isotopes 10Li, 12Li and 13Li have been observed after nucleon-knockout reactions at relativistic energies with 11Li and 14Be beams impinging on a liquid hydrogen target. The channels , and were analysed in the ALADIN-LAND setup at GSI. The 10Li data confirm earlier findings, while the 12Li and 13Li nuclei were observed for the first time. The relative-energy spectrum shows that the ground state of 12Li can be described as a virtual s-state with a scattering length of -13.7(1.6) fm. A broad energy spectrum was found for the channel. Based on the assumption that the relative-energy spectrum is dominated by a correlated background presumably stemming from initial correlations in th…

Evidence for Pygmy and Giant Dipole Resonances inSn130andSn132

The dipole strength distribution above the one-neutron separation energy was measured in the unstable $^{130}\mathrm{Sn}$ and the double-magic $^{132}\mathrm{Sn}$ isotopes. The results were deduced from Coulomb dissociation of secondary Sn beams with energies around $500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/\mathrm{\text{nucleon}}$, produced by in-flight fission of a primary $^{238}\mathrm{U}$ beam. In addition to the giant dipole resonance, a resonancelike structure (``pygmy resonance'') is observed at a lower excitation energy around 10 MeV exhausting a few percent of the isovector $E1$ energy-weighted sum rule. The results are discussed in the context of a predicted new dipole mode of excess neut…

Observation of a dramatic hindrance of the nuclear decay of isomeric states for fully ionized atoms

Abstract The half-lives of isomeric states of fully ionized 144Tb, 149Dy and 151Er have been measured. These nuclides were produced via fragmentation of about 900 MeV/u 209Bi projectiles, separated in flight with the fragment separator (FRS) and stored in the cooler ring (ESR). The decay times of the cooled fragments have been measured with time-resolved Schottky spectrometry. We observed for the first time drastic increases of the half-lives of bare isomers by factors of up to 30 compared to their neutral counterparts. This is due to the exclusion of the strong internal conversion and electron-capture channels in the radioactive decay of these bare nuclei. The experimental results are in g…

Energy and range focusing of in-flight separated exotic nuclei – A study for the energy-buncher stage of the low-energy branch of the Super-FRS

Abstract The relative momentum spread of in-flight separated exotic nuclear beams produced in fragmentation and/or fission reactions is of the order of a few percent. A new technique is presented, which reduces the momentum spread significantly, and first experimental results obtained with relativistic projectile fragments are shown. This technique is the key to experiments with slowed-down and stopped beams, in particular for the efficient stopping of relativistic exotic nuclei in gas-filled stopping cells. It will be employed at the energy-buncher stage of the low-energy branch of the Super-FRS facility. The ion-optical design of the energy buncher is presented and a brief outlook to the …

Dipole response of neutron-rich Sn isotopes

The neutron-rich isotopes 129–133Sn were studied in a Coulomb excitation experiment at about 500 AMeV using the FRS-LAND setup at GSI. From the exclusive measurement of all projectile-like particles following the excitation and decay of the projectile in a high-Z target, the energy differential cross section can be extracted. At these beam energies dipole transitions are dominating, and within the semi-classical approach the Coulomb excitation cross sections can be transformed into photoabsorption cross sections. In contrast to stable Sn nuclei, a substantial fraction of dipole strength is observed at energies below the giant dipole resonance (GDR). For 130Sn and 132Sn this strength is loca…

Radioactive Beams for Image-Guided Particle Therapy : The BARB Experiment at GSI

Several techniques are under development for image-guidance in particle therapy. Positron (β+) emission tomography (PET) is in use since many years, because accelerated ions generate positron-emitting isotopes by nuclear fragmentation in the human body. In heavy ion therapy, a major part of the PET signals is produced by β+-emitters generated via projectile fragmentation. A much higher intensity for the PET signal can be obtained using β+-radioactive beams directly for treatment. This idea has always been hampered by the low intensity of the secondary beams, produced by fragmentation of the primary, stable beams. With the intensity upgrade of the SIS-18 synchrotron and the isotopic separati…

Measurement of the92,93,94,100Mo(γ,n) reactions by Coulomb Dissociation

6th Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics Conference (NPA), Lisbon, Portugal, 19 May 2013 - 24 May 2013; Journal of physics / Conference Series 665, 012034 (2016). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/665/1/012034

Coulomb breakup of psd-shell neutron-rich nuclei

Inelastic scattering of loosely bound nuclei by Coulomb interaction at intermediate energies (400?600 MeV/nucleon) has been utilized as a spectroscopic tool for exotic nuclei. The observed electromagnetic dipole (E1) strength above the one neutron threshold of neutron-rich C, Be, B and O isotopes can be explained by a non-resonant transition of a neutron into the continuum. The shape of these strength distributions reflects properties of the wavefunction of the released neutron in the nucleus and hence ground-state properties of these isotopes. Neutron capture cross-sections such as for the 14C(n,?) 15C reaction which are of astrophysical relevance can be deduced indirectly.

Nuclear-matter density distribution in the neutron-rich nuclei 12,14Be from proton elastic scattering in inverse kinematics

Abstract In the present work, the differential cross sections for small-angle proton elastic scattering on the 12,14 Be nuclei were measured in inverse kinematics, using secondary radioactive beams with energies near 700 MeV/u produced with the fragment separator FRS at GSI. The main part of the experimental setup was the active target IKAR, which was used simultaneously as a target and a detector for the recoil protons. Auxiliary detectors for projectile tracking and isotope identification completed the setup. The measured differential cross sections were analyzed using the Glauber multiple-scattering theory. For the evaluation of the data several phenomenological nuclear-matter density pa…

Continuum excitations in6He

T. Aumann et al. ; 11 pags.; 6 figs.; 2 tabs. ; PACS number(s): 27.20.1n, 25.60.Gc, 25.70.De, 29.30.Hs

First spatial isotopic separation of relativistic uranium projectile fragments

Abstract Spatial isotopic separation of relativistic uranium projectile fragments has been achieved for the first time. The fragments were produced in peripheral nuclear collisions and spatially separated in-flight with the fragment separator FRS at GSI. A two-fold magnetic-rigidity analysis was applied exploiting the atomic energy loss in specially shaped matter placed in the dispersive central focal plane. Systematic investigations with relativistic projectiles ranging from oxygen up to uranium demonstrate that the FRS is a universal and powerful facility for the production and in-flight separation of monoisotopic, exotic secondary beams of all elements up to Z = 92. This achievement has …

Lifetime measurement of neutron-rich even-even molybdenum isotopes

D. Ralet et al. -- 11 pags., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

Coulomb breakup of 23O

Abstract The ground-state structure of the near-drip-line nucleus 23O has been investigated in a one-neutron Coulomb breakup reaction. Differential cross sections d σ / d E * for electromagnetic excitation of 23O projectiles (422 MeV/nucleon) incident on a lead target have been obtained from the measurement of the momenta of all breakup products including γ rays. The analysis of the deduced dipole-transition probability into the continuum infers a 2 s 1 / 2 ⊗ O 22 ( 0 + ) ground state configuration with a spectroscopic factor of 0.77(10) and thus a ground-state spin I π ( O 23 ) = 1 / 2 + , resolving earlier conflicting experimental findings. Final-state interaction is of significant influe…

Giant resonances in unstable oxygen isotopes

Abstract Electromagnetic and nuclear breakup of the neutron-rich Oxygen isotopes ranging from A = 17 to A = 22 is studied experimentally in reactions at energies around 600 MeV/u. The beams were produced in fragmentation reactions and separated by the GSI Fragment Separator FRS. By measuring the four-momenta of all decay products after inelastic scattering and neutron decay of the projectile, the excitation energy is determined. From the differential cross sections dσ dE ∗ for electromagnetic excitation, the E1-strength distributions can be deduced. For 18,20,22O, low-lying dipole strength is observed, exhausting about 5% of the Thomas Reiche Kuhn sumrule for energies up to 5 MeV above the …

First isochronous mass spectrometry at the experimental storage ring ESR

Short-lived exotic nuclei can be produced and separated with the high-energy secondary nuclear beam facility FRS at GSI. These nuclides can be injected and stored in the storage ring ESR. The lower lifetime limit of the presently existing methods for mass measurements on these nuclides at the ESR is about a few seconds. We have developed and investigated an isochronous operational mode of the ESR, that makes mass measurements of nuclides with lifetimes down to a few ls feasible. It has been commissioned in experiments using long-lived nuclides with known masses. A mass resolving power of about 150 000 has been achieved in a "rst pilot experiment. A suitable detector system has been implemen…

Dawning of the N=32 shell closure seen through precision mass measurements of neutron-rich titanium isotopes

A precision mass investigation of the neutron-rich titanium isotopes 51 − 55 Ti was performed at TRIUMF’s Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN). The range of the measurements covers the N = 32 shell closure, and the overall uncertainties of the 52 − 55 Ti mass values were significantly reduced. Our results conclusively establish the existence of the weak shell effect at N = 32 , narrowing down the abrupt onset of this shell closure. Our data were compared with state-of-the-art ab initio shell model calculations which, despite very successfully describing where the N = 32 shell gap is strong, overpredict its strength and extent in titanium and heavier isotones. These measurements a…

Searching for the 5H resonance in the t+n+n system

19 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, 2 appendices.-- PACS nrs.: 27.10.+h; 25.60.Gc.-- Printed version published Jul 28, 2003.

Study of the $^{15}$O(2p, γ )$^{17}$Ne cross section by Coulomb dissociation of $^{17}$Ne for the rp process of nucleosynthesis

Acta physica Polonica / B 45(2), 229 - 234 (2014). doi:10.5506/APhysPolB.45.229

Tz=−1→0βdecays ofNi54,Fe50,Cr46, andTi42and comparison with mirror(He3,t)measurements

We have studied the β decay of the Tz=−1, f7/2 shell nuclei Ni54, Fe50, Cr46, and Ti42 produced in fragmentation reactions. The proton separation energies in the daughter Tz=0 nuclei are relatively large (≈4–5 MeV) so studies of the γ rays are essential. The experiments were performed at GSI as part of the Stopped-beam campaign with the RISING setup consisting of 15 Euroball Cluster Ge detectors. From the newly obtained high precision β-decay half-lives, excitation energies, and β branching ratios, we were able to extract Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths in these β decays. With these improved results it was possible to compare in detail the Gamow-Teller (GT) transition strengths …

The electronion scattering experiment ELISe at the International Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) - A conceptual design study

The electronion scattering experiment ELISe is part of the installations envisaged at the new experimental storage ring at the International Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany. It offers an unique opportunity to use electrons as probe in investigations of the structure of exotic nuclei. The conceptual design and the scientific challenges of ELISe are presented. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Target dependence in the study of collective modes in stable and exotic Ni nuclei

The appearance of the pygmy-dipole-resonance is a recently observed phenomenon that can be related to neutron-matter properties. Its study can be a tool to determine the nuclear symmetry-energy parameters and thus can contribute constraining neutron star models. We present the ( γ,n ) cross sections for different Ni isotopes obtained from a measurement in inverse kinematics at about 500 MeV/u in the LAND reaction setup at GSI. The question of the disentanglement of the Coulomb and nuclear contributions is addressed.

Mass and half-life measurements of neutron-deficient iodine isotopes

The European physical journal / A 56(5), 143 (2020). doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00153-5

Photoneutron cross sections for unstable neutron-rich oxygen isotopes.

The dipole response of stable and unstable neutron-rich oxygen nuclei of masses A = 17 to A = 22 has been investigated experimentally utilizing electromagnetic excitation in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies about 600 MeV/nucleon. A kinematically complete measurement of the neutron decay channel in inelastic scattering of the secondary beam projectiles from a Pb target was performed. Differential electromagnetic excitation cross sections d sigma/dE were derived up to 30 MeV excitation energy. In contrast to stable nuclei, the deduced dipole strength distribution appears to be strongly fragmented and systematically exhibits a considerable fraction of low-lying strength.

Invariant-mass spectroscopy of $^{10}$Li and $^{11}$Li

Break-up of secondary Li-11 ion beams (280 MeV/nucleon) on C and Pb targets into Li-9 and neutrons is studied experimentally. Cross sections and neutron multiplicity distributions are obtained, characterizing different reaction mechanisms. Invariant-mass spectroscopy for Li-11 and Li-10 is performed. The E1 strength distribution, deduced from electromagnetic excitation of Li-11 up to an excitation energy of 4 MeV comprises similar to 8% of the Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn energy-weighted sumrule strength. Two low-lying resonance-like structures are observed for Li-10 at decay energies of 0.21(5) and 0.62(10) MeV, the former one carrying 26(10)% of the strength and likely to be associated with an s-wa…

Neutron momentum distributions from "core break-up" reactions of halo nuclei

Neutron angular distributions from violent break-up reactions of Li-11 and Be-11 have been measured at 28 MeV/u and 280 MeV/u and at 41 MeV/u and 460 MeV/u, respectively. The derived neutron momentum distributions show a narrow component in transverse momentum that is within uncertainties independent of beam energy and target charge. This component is suggested to be simply related to the momentum distribution of the loosely bound halo neutron(s) in the projectiles.

Experimental study of the 15O(2p, γ)17Ne cross section by Coulomb Dissociation for the rp process

6th Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics Conference (NPA), Lisbon, Portugal, 19 May 2013 - 24 May 2013; Journal of physics / Conference Series 665, 012046 (2016). doi:10.1088/1742-6596/665/1/012046

Simultaneous Measurement ofβ−Decay to Bound and Continuum Electron States

We report the first measurement of a ratio {lambda}{sub {beta}{sub b}}/{lambda}{sub {beta}{sub c}} of bound-state ({lambda}{sub {beta}{sub b}}) and continuum-state ({lambda}{sub {beta}{sub c}}) {beta}{sup -}-decay rates for the case of bare {sup 207}Tl{sup 81+} ions. These ions were produced at the GSI fragment separator FRS by projectile fragmentation of a {sup 208}Pb beam. After in-flight separation with the B{rho}-{delta}E-B{rho} method, they were injected into the experimental storage-ring ESR at an energy of 400.5A MeV, stored, and electron cooled. The number of both the {sup 207}Tl{sup 81+} ions and their bound-state {beta}{sup -}-decay daughters, hydrogenlike {sup 207}Pb{sup 81+} ion…

High-power production targets for the Super-FRS using a fast extraction scheme

Abstract The high-power production target of the Super-FRS [H. Geissel et al., these Proceedings] will be irradiated by very intense heavy-ion beams which will be delivered from the future SIS100/200 [An International Accelerator Facility for Beams of Ions and Antiprotons, GSI-Report, 2001] synchrotron facility at the Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung (GSI) Darmstadt. This paper presents calculations of the thermodynamic and the hydrodynamic response of such a target, considering that a uranium ion beam with an energy of 1 GeV/u and an intensity of 10 12 particles will impinge within 50 ns on a solid carbon target with a thickness of 4 g/cm 2 . Due to the high beam intensity the target …

Measurement of the dipole response of neutron-rich nuclei in the A∼20 region

Abstract Coulomb break up of the neutron-rich 15,17 C and 17–22 O isotopes has been studied experimentally using secondary beams at energies of 500–600 MeV/u. A comparison between differential cross sections, d σ/ d E ∗ , with that obtained from a binary model shows that the main ground-state configuration of 15 C is 14 C(0 + )⊗ ν S 1/2 as expected. For 17 C, our preliminary data analysis reveals that the predominant (∼64%) configuration of the ground state is 16 C(2 + )⊗ ν s , d . For 17–22 O, the low-lying E1 strength amounts up to about 12% of the energy weighted sum rule strength depending on neutron number. The energy weighted E1 strength (integrated up to 15 MeV excitation energy) inc…

Coulomb dissociation of 27P: A reaction of astrophysical interest

The ground-state decay of 26Al(0+) (T 1/2=1.05× 106) has a shorter life-time than the Universe. The presence of this element in the Galaxy was measured via g-ray spectroscopy, showing that the nucleosynthesis of this element is an ongoing process in stars. The proton-capture reaction 26Si(p,γ) 27P competes with the production of 26Al(0+) by β-decay. Coulomb dissociation of 27P has been suggested as an indirect method to measure radiative-proton capture when the direct reaction is not feasible. Such an experiment was performed at GSI with a secondary 27P beam produced by fragmenting a 36Ar primary beam at 500 A MeV. Two main observables are preliminarily presented in this work: the reaction …

Fragmentation of exotic oxygen isotopes

Abrasion-ablation models and the empirical EPAX parametrization of projectile fragmentation are described. Their cross section predictions are compared to recent data of the fragmentation of secondary beams of neutron-rich, unstable 19,20,21O isotopes at beam energies near 600 MeV/nucleon as well as data for stable 17,18O beams.

New results with stored exotic nuclei at relativistic energies

Recently, much progress has been made with stored exotic nuclei at relativistic velocities ( v c = 0.7 ) . Fragments of 208Pb and 209Bi projectiles and fission products from 238U ions were produced, separated in flight with the fragment separator FRS, and injected into the storage-cooler ring ESR for precision measurements. 114 new masses of neutron-deficient isotopes in the lead region have been measured with time-resolved Schottky Mass Spectrometry (SMS). A new isospin dependence of the pairing energy was observed due to the improved mass accuracy of typically 1.5×10-7 (30 keV). New masses of short-lived neutron-rich fission fragments have been obtained with Isochronous Mass Spectrometry …

β -decay half-lives and β -delayed neutron emission probabilities for several isotopes of Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, and Bi, beyond N=126

Background: Previous measurements of Beta-delayed neutron emitters comprise around 230 nuclei, spanning from the 8He up to 150La. Apart from 210Tl, with a minuscule branching ratio of 0.07%, no other neutron emitter is measured yet beyond A = 150. Therefore new data are needed, particularly in the heavy mass region around N=126, in order to guide theoretical models and to understand the formation of the third r-process peak at A 195. Purpose: To measure both, Beta-decay half-lives and neutron branching ratios of several neutron-rich Au, Hg, Tl, Pb and Bi isotopes beyond N = 126. Method: Ions of interest are produced by fragmentation of a 238U beam, selected and identifed via the GSI-FRS fra…

Study of Basic Nuclear Properties of Highly-Charged, Unstable Nuclei at the SIS-FRS-ESR Complex

Recent progress in experiments with exotic nuclear beams at the SIS-FRS-ESR facility is summarized. New results on gross properties of exotic nuclei like binding energy, half-lives, and decay modes are presented. A brief outlook to future experiments is given.

Polarization in fragmentation,gfactor of35K

Spin polarization $Pg1%$ has been observed for ${}^{37}\mathrm{K}$ fragments produced in the reaction ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ca}{+}^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ at 500 MeV/nucleon. The polarization was measured as a function of fragment longitudinal momentum (Goldhaber distribution). The experimental results are well described by a new Monte Carlo\char21{}based model. The $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay half-life of ${}^{35}\mathrm{K}$ was remeasured as ${t}_{1/2}=178(8)$ ms. Using polarized ${}^{35}\mathrm{K}$ fragments, the $g$ factor ${g}_{\mathrm{exp}}{(}^{35}\mathrm{K})=0.24(2)$ was measured. The magnetic moments of isospin $|{T}_{z}|=3/2$ mirror pairs are discussed.

Removal of molecular contamination in low-energy RIBs by the isolation-dissociation-isolation method

Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research / B 463, 324 - 326 (2020). doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2019.04.072

Proton Inelastic Scattering onNi56in Inverse Kinematics

Inelastic proton scattering to the first excited ${2}^{+}$ state of the doubly magic $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ nucleus was investigated in inverse kinematics, using a secondary beam of radioactive $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ nuclei. At an incident energy of 101 MeV/nucleon, a value $B(E2,{0}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}^{+})=600\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}120 {e}^{2}$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^{4}$ was measured. This result completes the set of experimental data for the first excited ${2}^{+}$ states in the $1f\ensuremath{-}2p$ shell with a closed shell of neutrons or protons. These data are compared to recent shell-model calculations.

Mass mapping of a new area of neutron-deficient suburanium nuclides

Abstract The masses of 64 short-lived neutron-deficient nuclides covering the element range from tungsten to uranium have been obtained for the first time. They have been evaluated by combining directly measured masses from Schottky mass spectrometry with linked experimental Q-values in α-decay chains. Based on these new mass data we have determined the one-proton and two-proton drip-lines as well as the size of the “littoral shallow” of the sea of instability. No evidence of a Thomas–Ehrman shift has been found in the region of the investigated heavy nuclides. A peculiar behavior of two-proton separation energies has been observed in the lead region. The predictive power of various mass mo…

Study of the Unstable NucleusL10iin Stripping Reactions of the Radioactive ProjectilesB11eandL11i

Reactions of the halo systems Be-11 and Li-11 (at 460 and 280 MeV/nucleon) with a carbon target demonstrate that (n + Li-9) has an (unbound) l = 0 ground state very close to the threshold. The neutron halo of Li-11 has appreciable (1s(1/2))(2) and (0p(1/2))(2) components.

First experimental results of a cryogenic stopping cell with short-lived, heavy uranium fragments produced at 1000 MeV/u

A cryogenic stopping cell (CSC) has been commissioned with U-238 projectile fragments produced at 1000 MeV/u. The spatial isotopic separation in flight was performed with the FRS applying a monoenergetic degrader. For the first time, a stopping cell was operated with exotic nuclei at cryogenic temperatures (70 to 100K). A helium stopping gas density of up to 0.05mg/cm(3) was used, about two times higher than reached before for a stopping cell with RF ion repelling structures. An overall efficiency of up to 15%, a combined ion survival and extraction efficiency of about 50%, and extraction times of 24ms were achieved for heavy a-decaying uranium fragments. Mass spectrometry with a multiple-r…

Nuclear symmetry energy and neutron skins derived from pygmy dipole resonances

By exploiting Coulomb dissociation of high-energy radioactive beams of the neutron-rich nuclei $^{129\ensuremath{-}132}\mathrm{Sn}$ and $^{133,134}\mathrm{Sb}$, their dipole-strength distributions have been measured. A sizable fraction of ``pygmy'' dipole strength, energetically located below the giant dipole resonance, is observed in all of these nuclei. A comparison with available pygmy resonance data in stable nuclei ($^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $N=82$ isotones) indicates a trend of strength increasing with the proton-to-neutron asymmetry. On theoretical grounds, employing the RQRPA approach, a one-to-one correlation is found between the pygmy strength and parameters describing the density d…

Halo excitations in fragmentation of He at 240 MeV/u on carbon and lead targets

Dissociation of a 240 MeV/u beam of He-6, incident on carbon and lead targets, has been studied in kinematically complete experiments to investigate low-lying excitation modes in the halo nucleus He-6. It is shown that alignment effects characterize the inelastic scattering and allow an unambiguous assignment of the spin of a narrow resonance observed in the excitation energy spectrum. The differential cross sections for the He-6 inelastic scattering on carbon and lead targets were deduced from the measured moments of the two neutrons and the a-particle. An analysis of these distributions shows that quadrupole and, possibly, monopole excitations characterize the hadronic interaction, while …

Development and test of iron-free quadrupole lenses with high magnetic flux densities

Abstract Iron-free magnetic quadrupole lenses have been developed for the focusing of energetic bunched heavy-ion beams. These devices are operated in a pulsed mode and provide very strong magnetic fields. A magnetic flux density of more than 14 T has been reached in a 100 mm long quadrupole with a 20 mm wide aperture, which corresponds to a magnetic flux density of ∼1400 T/m. The pulse duration of the applied electric current is approximately 300 μs with a flat top of several μs. The calculated and measured field properties of the quadrupoles are presented. In a first test experiment with a fast-extracted 650 MeV/u 197 Au 79+ beam (bunch length ∼500 ns) at GSI the focusing properties could…

Superallowed Gamow-Teller decay of the doubly magic nucleus $^{100}$Sn

Expérience au GSI; The shell structure of atomic nuclei is associated with 'magic numbers' and originates in the nearly independent motion of neutrons and protons in a mean potential generated by all nucleons. During b1-decay, a proton transforms into a neutron in a previously not fully occupied orbital, emitting a positron-neutrino pair with either parallel or antiparallel spins, in a Gamow-Teller or Fermi transition, respectively. The transition probability, or strength, of a Gamow-Teller transition depends sensitively on the underlying shell structure and is usually distributed among many states in the neighbouring nucleus. Here we report measurements of the half-life and decay energy fo…

The Super-FRS Project at GSI

The GSI projectile fragment separator FRS has demonstrated with many pioneering experiments the research potential of in-flight separators at relativistic energies. Although the present facility has contributed much to the progress in the field of nuclear structure physics, major improvements are desirable in the future. The characteristics of the proposed next-generation facility at GSI, the Super-FRS, will be presented and compared to other projects. The Super-FRS is a large-acceptance superconducting fragment separator followed by different experimental branches including a combination with a new storage-cooler ring system. This system consists of a collector ring (CR) and a new experime…

Coulomb dissociation of P 27 at 500 MeV/u

J. Marganiec et al. ; 15 págs.; 14 figs.; 6 tabs.

Calculations of high-power production target and beamdump for the GSI future Super-FRS for a fast extraction scheme at the FAIR Facility

A superconducting fragment separator (Super-FRS) is being designed for the production and separation of radioactive isotopes at the future FAIR (Facility for Antiprotons and Ion Research) facility at Darmstadt. This paper discusses various aspects and requirements for the high-power production target that will be used in the Super-FRS experiments. The production target must survive over an extended period of time as it will be used during the course of many experiments. The specific power deposited by the high intensity beam that will be generated at the future FAIR facility will be high enough to destroy the target in most of the cases as a result of a single shot from the new heavy ion sy…

8He-6He: a comparative study of nuclear fragmentation reactions

19 pages, 3 tables, 6 figures.-- PACS nrs.: 27.20.+n; 24.70.+s; 25.06.-t.-- Available online Dec 4, 2000.

First Observation of the Unbound NucleusNe15

We report on the first observation of the unbound proton-rich nucleus Ne-15. Its ground state and first excited state were populated in two-neutron knockout reactions from a beam of 500 MeV/u Ne-17. The Ne-15 ground state is found to be unbound by 2.522(66) MeV. The decay proceeds directly to O-13 with simultaneous two-proton emission. No evidence for sequential decay via the energetically allowed 2(-) and 1(-) states in F-14 is observed. The Ne-15 ground state is shown to have a strong configuration with two protons in the (sd) shell around O-13 with a 63(5)% (1s(1/2))(2) component.

He-8 - He-6: a comparative study of electromagnetic fragmentation reactions

14 pages, 1 table, 2 figures.-- PACS nrs.:27.20.+n; 24.70.+.-- Available online Oct 8, 2001.

The dipole response of nuclei with large neutron excess

The dipole response of neutron-rich nuclei in the mass range from A = 10 to A = 22 and with mass to charge ratios of 2.5 to 2.8 has been invesitigated experimentally utilizing electromagnetic excitation in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies around 600 MeV/u.

The science case of the FRS Ion Catcher for FAIR Phase-0

The FRS Ion Catcher at GSI enables precision experiments with thermalized projectile and fission fragments. At the same time it serves as a test facility for the Low-Energy Branch of the Super-FRS at FAIR. The FRS Ion Catcher has been commissioned and its performance has been characterized in five experiments with 238U and 124Xe projectile and fission fragments produced at energies in the range from 300 to 1000 MeV/u. High and almost element-independent efficiencies for the thermalization of short-lived nuclides produced at relativistic energies have been obtained. High-accuracy mass measurements of more than 30 projectile and fission fragments have been performed with a multiple-reflection…

Experiments with stored exotic nuclei at relativistic energies

Abstract A review and recent progress are presented from experiments on masses and lifetimes of bare and few-electron exotic nuclei at GSI. Relativistic rare isotopes produced via projectile fragmentation and fission were separated in flight by the fragment separator FRS and injected into the storage ring ESR. This worldwide unique experimental method gives access to all fragments with half-lives down to the microsecond range. The great research potential is demonstrated by the discovery of new isotopes along with simultaneous mass and lifetime measurements. Single particle decay measurements and the continuous recording of both stored mother and daughter nuclei open up a new era for nuclea…

β-decay and β-delayed Neutron Emission Measurements at GSI-FRS Beyond N=126, for r-process Nucleosynthesis

New measurements of very exotic nuclei in the neutron-rich region beyond N=126 have been performed at the GSI facility with the fragment separator (FRS). The aim of the experiment is to determine half-lives and β-delayed neutron emission branching ratios of isotopes of Hg, Tl and Pb in this region. This contribution summarizes final counting statistics for identification and for implantation, as well as the present status of the data analysis of the half-lives. In summary, isotopes of Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Po, At, Rn and Fr were clearly identified and several of them (208-211Hg, 211-215Tl, 214-218Pb) were implanted with enough statistics to determine their half-lives. About half of them a…

Radioactive Beams for Image-Guided Particle Therapy: The BARB Experiment at GSI

Several techniques are under development for image-guidance in particle therapy. Positron (β+) emission tomography (PET) is in use since many years, because accelerated ions generate positron-emitting isotopes by nuclear fragmentation in the human body. In heavy ion therapy, a major part of the PET signals is produced by β+-emitters generated via projectile fragmentation. A much higher intensity for the PET signal can be obtained using β+-radioactive beams directly for treatment. This idea has always been hampered by the low intensity of the secondary beams, produced by fragmentation of the primary, stable beams. With the intensity upgrade of the SIS-18 synchrotron and the isotopic separati…

Ion-optical layout of a powerful next-generation pre-separator for in-flight separation of relativistic rare isotopes

Abstract Rare isotope beams can be efficiently produced at relativistic energies via projectile fragmentation and projectile fission. Magnetic rigidity analysis in combination with atomic energy loss ( Bρ –Δ E – Bρ method) in profiled matter placed at dispersive focal planes represents the tool for spatial separation in flight. The next-generation in-flight separators at high energies will consist of multiple degrader stages to provide intense monoisotopic fragment beams of all elements up to uranium. The pre-separator layout with the first degrader system holds many technical challenges, e.g. to handle the high-power primary beams characterized by a large range in time structure, from a DC…

Coulomb and nuclear excitations of narrow resonances in 17Ne

Physics letters / B 759, 200 - 205 (2016). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.05.073

Investigation of the Dipole Response in Exotic Nuclei – Experiments at the LAND-R$^3$B Setup

We present experimental results on the electromagnetic excitation of neutron-rich nickel isotopes, making use of the (RB)-B-3-LAND setup at GSI. Exotic beams were produced at approximately 500 MeV/u and their reactions were studied in inverse kinematics. Integral cross sections for Ni-58 are discussed and compared to previous data, providing a validation of our experimental method. The El excitation-energy distribution of the unstable Ni-68 is presented as well, showing an excess in cross section in the 1n decay channel when compared only with a typical Giant Dipole Resonance.

Sn108studied with intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation

The unstable neutron-deficient Sn-108 isotope has been studied in inverse kinematics by intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation using the RISING/FRS experimental setup at GSI. This is the highest Z nucleus studied so far with this method. Its reduced transition probability B (E2;0(g.s.)(+)-> 2(1)(+)) has been measured for the first time. The extracted B(E2) value of 0.230(57)e(2) b(2) has been determined relative to the known value in the stable Sn-112 isotope. The result is discussed in the framework of recent large-scale shell model calculations performed with realistic effective interactions. The roles of particle-hole excitations of the Sn-100 core and of the Z=50 shell gap for the E2 po…

Quasi-free scattering with 6,8He beams

Abstract This paper presents the results of experimental investigations of ( p , p n ) , ( p , p α ) and ( p , p 6 He) reactions with relativistic 6 He and 8 He beams impinging on a hydrogen target. Information on the structure of extremely neutron-rich nuclei was obtained by using the unique characteristic of quasi-free scattering processes and inverse kinematics. For the first time, momentum distributions of complex clusters inside 6 He and 8 He were measured. Spectroscopic factors for valence neutrons, α - and 6 He clusters were deduced from the experimental data. They demonstrate that the filling of the p 1 2 shell is the essential feature of the 8 He structure. It is shown that the 8 H…

Mass measurements of As, Se, and Br nuclei, and their implication on the proton-neutron interaction strength toward the N=Z line

Mass measurements of the $^{69}$As, $^{70,71}$Se and $^{71}$Br isotopes, produced via fragmentation of a $^{124}$Xe primary beam at the FRS at GSI, have been performed with the multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) of the FRS Ion Catcher with an unprecedented mass resolving power of almost 1,000,000. For the $^{69}$As isotope, this is the first direct mass measurement. A mass uncertainty of 22 keV was achieved with only 10 events. For the $^{70}$Se isotope, a mass uncertainty of 2.6 keV was obtained, corresponding to a relative accuracy of $\delta$m/m = 4.0$\times 10^{-8}$, with less than 500 events. The masses of the $^{71}$Se and $^{71}$Br isotopes were measured…

Longitudinal and transverse momentum distributions of 9Li fragments from break-up of 11Li

7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table.

High-resolution, accurate multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry for short-lived, exotic nuclei of a few events in their ground and low-lying isomeric states

Physical review / C covering nuclear physics 99(6), 064313 (2019). doi:10.1103/PhysRevC.99.064313

Studying Gamow-Teller transitions and the assignment of isomeric and ground states at $N=50$

Direct mass measurements of neutron-deficient nuclides around the N=50 shell closure below $^{100}$Sn were performed at the FRS Ion Catcher (FRS-IC) at GSI, Germany. The nuclei were produced by projectile fragmentation of $^{124}$Xe, separated in the fragment separator FRS and delivered to the FRS-IC. The masses of 14 ground states and two isomers were measured with relative mass uncertainties down to 1×10−7 using the multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer of the FRS-IC, including the first direct mass measurements of $^{98}$Cd and $^{97}$Rh. A new QEC=5437±67 keV was obtained for $^{98}$Cd, resulting in a summed Gamow-Teller (GT) strength for the five observed transitions (0+…

Experiments with Exotic Atoms and Exotic Nuclei at GSI, Recent Developments and Future Prospects

Results and new developments with exotic atoms and exotic nuclei are presented from recent experiments at GSI. The proposed European inflight facility at GSI will open up new fields of outstanding research and will simultaneously access unknown regions of nuclei with new properties. A new generation of precision experiments will be performed with stored exotic nuclei, whereby nuclear reactions with an internal target and electron scattering in a small electron-ion collider will be a great challenge.

Application of the relativistic mean-field mass model to ther-process and the influence of mass uncertainties

A new mass table calculated by the relativistic mean-field approach with the state-dependent BCS method for the pairing correlation is applied for the first time to study r-process nucleosynthesis. The solar r-process abundance is well reproduced within a waiting-point approximation approach. Using an exponential fitting procedure to find the required astrophysical conditions, the influence of mass uncertainty is investigated. The r-process calculations using the FRDM, ETFSI-Q, and HFB-13 mass tables have been used for that purpose. It is found that the nuclear physical uncertainty can significantly influence the deduced astrophysical conditions for the r-process site. In addition, the infl…

Schottky mass measurements of stored and cooled neutron-deficient projectile fragments in the element range of 57≤Z≤84

Abstract A novel method for direct, high precision mass measurements of relativistic exotic nuclei has been successfully applied in the storage ring ESR at GSI. The nuclei of interest were produced by projectile fragmentation of 930 MeV / u bismuth ions, separated in-flight by the fragment separator FRS, stored and cooled in the ESR. The mass values have been deduced from the revolution frequencies of the coasting cooled ions. We have measured 104 new mass values with a precision of about 100 keV and a resolving power of 3.5×10 5 for the neutron-deficient isotopes of the elements 57≤Z≤84 . This paper presents the experimental method, the mass evaluation and a table of the experimental mass …