FIRST SPATIAL ISOTOPIC-SEPARATION OF RELATIVISTIC URANIUM PROJECTILE FRAGMENTS

Spatial isotopic separation of relativistic uranium projectile fragmen ts has been achieved for the first time. The fragments were produced i n peripheral nuclear collisions and spatially separated in-flight with the fragment separator FRS at GSI. A twofold magnetic-rigidity analys is was applied exploiting the atomic energy loss in specially shaped m atter placed in the dispersive central focal plane. Systematic investi gations with relativistic projectiles ranging from oxygen up to uraniu m demonstrate that the FRS is a universal and powerful facility for th e production and in-flight separation of monoisotopic, exotic secondar y beams of all elements up to Z = 92. This achievement has opened a ne w area in heavy-ion research and applications.