First observation of MNT isotope beams at the FRS Ion Catcher

Abstract

An exploratory experiment on Multi-Nucleon Transfer (MNT) reactions was successfully conducted at the FRS Ion Catcher setup at GSI. The experiment demonstrated the production of MNT-driven radioactive ion beams (RIBs) produced by decelerated relativistic beams. A beam of ²³⁸U ions was reacted with a ²⁰⁹Bi target at near-Coulomb barrier energies inside the specially modified Cryogenic Stopping Cell (CSC) for the production and thermalization of MNT products. These products were then identified using a Multiple-Reflection Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS). The observation of target-like MNT fragments along the $A=211$ isobaric chain provided a proof-of-principle for future MNT studies with the FRS Ion Catcher setup.