Transfer reaction experiments with radioactive beams: from halos to the r-process

TL;DR

This paper reviews transfer reaction experiments with radioactive beams, highlighting their role in exploring exotic nuclear structures and informing astrophysical nucleosynthesis models, with examples from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of modern transfer reaction techniques in inverse kinematics using radioactive beams, including experimental setups and recent results.

Findings

Transfer reactions reveal detailed nuclear structure information.

Experiments inform astrophysical nucleosynthesis models.

Use of advanced detection arrays enhances measurement precision.

Abstract

Transfer reactions are a powerful probe of the properties of atomic nuclei. When used in inverse kinematics with radioactive ion beams they can provide detailed information on the structure of exotic nuclei and can inform nucleosynthesis calculations. There are a number of groups around the world who use these reactions, usually with particle detection in large silicon arrays. Sometimes these arrays are coupled to gamma-ray detectors, and occasionally smaller arrays of silicon detectors are mounted within a solenoid magnet. Modern techniques using transfer reactions in inverse kinematics are covered, with specific examples, many from measurements made with beams from the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.