CRC Press Rare Isotope Beams: Concepts and Techniques

Rare Isotope Beams (RIBs) are ion beams of exotic radioactive nuclei. The study of these nuclei is key to understanding the limits of nuclear existence, nucleo-synthesis in such violent stellar sites as supernovae and merging neutron stars, and the fundamental symmetries of nature. These nuclei also provide a unique probe to study condensed matter and many of them are potentially new radioisotopes for more effective medical diagnostics and therapy. Rare Isotope Beams: Concepts and Techniques gives an up-to-date overview of all these aspects of RIB science in a single volume containing the scientific motivation, production techniques, experimental techniques for studying exotic nuclei, methods used in condensed matter research, and medical applications. The emphasis throughout is on concepts to facilitate understanding of the essence of each topic in this diverse and cross-disciplinary field involving nuclear physics, astrophysics, and particle accelerators. A brief description of major RIB facilities is also presented. Exotic nuclei are difficult to produce in enough numbers and their production involves different nuclear reaction routes and a wide range of advanced technologies, which are presented in a comprehensive manner. Experimental techniques used to study exotic nuclei are provided with examples highlighting the intricate nature of such experiments. Another unique feature is the open-ended nature of the discussions, bringing out the future challenges and possibilities in this evolving field. The book offers an excellent overview of concepts and techniques involved in RIB science for new researchers entering the field as well as professionals. About the Author Alok Chakrabarti, former Director at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Center (VECC), Kolkata, India, and former Raja Ramanna Fellow at VECC, is an accomplished Physicist and a leader who has pioneered the fields of Exotic Nuclei and Rare Isotope Beams (RIB) in India. Dr. Chakrabarti began his career in 1979 at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Mumbai, India, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India. A recipient of the Indian Physical Society’s Young Physicist award, DAE’s Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award and “Brojendranath Seal Smarak Samman,” he has published more than 100 papers in reputed peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Chakrabarti is regularly invited to deliver lectures at institutes of world repute and prestigious conferences. For his research, Dr. Chakrabarti built India’s first on-line isotope separator at VECC and developed many key techniques for experimental study of short-lived nuclei. His major contributions include the discovery of a new isomer, a new technique for beta-delayed proton spectroscopy and an innovative experimental study which proves that asymmetric splitting survives in fission, rather surprisingly, up to quite high excitations and that there is a signature of bi-modal fission. As a Project Director, Dr. Chakrabarti initiated and led the RIB project at VECC for which he successfully developed a number of advanced particle accelerators. This includes India’s first heavy ion Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) linac, a state-of-the-art machine that efficiently accelerates low-energy ion beams. Dr. Chakrabarti, along with Dr. Dechoudhury, suggested a novel concept on “Alternate Phase focusing in independently phased superconducting resonators,” which makes acceleration of particles much more efficient and allows acceleration of ions having different charge states. Dr. Chakrabarti has supervised more than a dozen Ph.D. students. He also serves as Referee for journals such as European Physics Journal A, Review of Scientific Instruments, Pramana, Nuclear Instruments and Methods and Ceramics International and serves on the Scientific Committees of major international conferences in the field of particle accelerators.   Vaishali Naik is presently serving as Head of the RIB Facili