Intermediate-Energy Fragmentation of Heavy-Element Beams: A Novel Approach Towards the Nuclear Drip-Lines

Abstract

The fragmentation of heavy beams at intermediate energy and the opportunities offered by this in the exploration of heavy nuclei near the drip lines will be discussed. First, a study of 1 9 7Au projectile fragmentation at 30 MeV/nucleon will be presented in which an appreciable number of new p-rich nuclei were observed. Perspectives of proton radioactivity studies using the fragmentation approach will be discussed. Second, a study of the fission of 2 3 8U projectiles at 20 MeV/nucleon will be presented, where a number of new neutron rich nuclei were identified. Production rates of extremely η-rich nuclides from a typical projectile-fragmentation facility are given. A large number of nuclei along the astrophysical r-process path can be investigated and approach of the neutron dripline in the region Z=45-50 may be possible. The ability to produce and study these either p-rich or η-rich nuclei at intermediate (and possibly lower) energy facilities may open a variety of possibilities for experimental studies of exotic heavy nuclei.