Radioactive ion beam production and development at the HRIBF

Radioactive ion beams are produced at the Holifleld Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) using the ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) technique where the atoms are produced in a thick target, transported to an ion source, ionized, and extracted to form an ion beam. These radioactive ion beams are then accelerated to energies of a few MeV per nucleon and delivered to experimental stations for use in nuclear physics and astrophysics studies. Recently developed radioactive ion beams include ²⁵Al from a SiC target, ³⁴Cl from a CeS target, and ²⁷ Si from an Al ₂O ₃ target. In addition, highly-purified beams of neutron-rich Ge, Sn, Br, and I isotopes from a uranium carbide target are now available. A number of experiments have recently been completed using beams of ⁸⁰Ge (95% pure) with 2×10 ⁵ ions per second on target, and ¹³²Sn (96% pure) with 2×10 ⁵ ions per second on target at 4.2 MeV per nucleon and 9×10 ³ ions per second on target at 3 MeV per nucleon.