Study of resonant reactions with radioactive ion beams

A fast and efficient method to study (p,p) and (p,alpha) resonances with ra dioactive beams in inverse kinematics is described. It is based on the use of thick targets and large area double-sided silicon strip detectors (DSSDs ) to detect the recoiling light-charged particles and to determine precisel y their scattering angle. The first nuclear physics experiments with the te chnique have been performed recently at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) at Oak Ridge with stable beams of O-17 and radioactive bea ms of F-17. Th, high-quality resonance measurements obtained demonstrate th e capabilities of the technique. Pure F-17 beams from HRIBF were produced b y fully stripping the ions and separating the interfering and more abundant O-17 ions by the beam transport system. The removal of interfering isobars is one of the various common challenges to both accelerator mass spectrome try (AMS) and radioactive ion beam (RIB) production. Experiments done with RIBs wilt benefit from the use of the most efficient techniques for product ion, isobar separation, transport and detection. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.