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Project

Spectroscopie van exotische kernen met een magnetische actieve trefschijf. (SpecMAT)

Our knowledge about the nuclei at the centre of atoms was based for a long time on the information collected on the few stable nuclei existing in nature. In recent years, however, nuclei far from stability (with an excess of protons or neutrons) have become accessible at large accelerator facilities. Their study has revealed truly exotic properties (unexpected shapes, new decay modes, and others) that challenge our understanding of their structure and dynamics. SpecMAT aims at providing crucial experimental information to answer key questions about the properties of the nuclei: What are the forces driving the shell structure in nuclei and how do they change in systems far from stability? What remains of the Z=28 and N=50 magic numbers (corresponding to well-bound configurations) in the very exotic 78Ni nucleus? Do we understand shape coexistence in nuclei, and what are the mechanisms controlling its appearance? Nucleon-transfer reactions are a reliable probe to collect information on nuclear structure. We will employ them to study two regions, the neutron-rich nuclei around nickel (Z=28) and, for the first time, the neutron-deficient nuclei around lead (Z=82). In SpecMAT a novel instrument will overcome the present challenges in performing such measurements with very weak beams of unstable nuclei. It combines high luminosity, high efficiency and a very large dynamic range and allows detection of both charged-particle and gamma-ray radiation. The instrument owns its remarkable performances to a number of advanced technologies concerning the use of electronics, gaseous detectors and gamma-ray detectors in a magnetic field. The SpecMAT detector will be coupled to the HIE-ISOLDE facility for the production and post-acceleration of radioactive ion beams in construction at CERN in Geneva. HIE-ISOLDE will provide world-unique beams thanks to the use of the proton injector of the CERN complex. If successful, SpecMAT at HIE-ISOLDE will produce specific results in nuclear structure which cannot be reached by other programmes elsewhere. Such results will have a significant impact on the present theories and models of the atomic nucleus.

Datum:1 mei 2014 →  31 mei 2020
Trefwoorden:Spectroscopy, exotic nuclei, magnetic active target
Disciplines:Nucleaire fysica