The `How and Why' of nucleon transfer reactions with radioactive beams

Wilton Catford

Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK

Abstract:

The intensity of secondary radioactive beams has now reached the stage where it is sufficient to perform nucleon transfer reactions with them. Traditionally proven spectroscopic tools such as (p,d) and (d,p) reactions must be performed using inverse kinematics, which introduces characteristic experimental constraints. In particular, it is not possible to achieve resolutions better than 200 keV typically, using just the detection of the outgoing charged particles, and gamma-ray detection is required to improve the achievable resolution for bound states. The kinematics are insensitive to the details of individual reactions, so it is possible to construct a dedicated detection system with wide applicability, for example the TIARA array being constructed in the UK for use at GANIL.