Proton scattering from unstable nuclei

Recent improvements in the intensities and optical qualities of radioactive beams have made possible the study of elastic and inelastic proton scatter ing on unstable nuclei. The design and performances of an innovative silico n strip detector array devoted to such experiments are described. The quali ty of the data obtained are illustrated with recent results obtained at the GANIL facility for unstable oxygen, sulfur and argon isotopes. Methods to analyse the data using phenomenological and microscopic optical model poten tials are discussed.