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The structure of nuclei provides insight into astrophysical reaction rates that are difficult to measure directly. These studies are often performed with transfer reactions and β-decay measurements. These experiments benefit from particle-γ coincidence measurements which provide information beyond that of particle detection alone. The Hybrid Array of Gamma Ray Detectors (HAGRiD) of LaBr3(Ce) scintillators has been designed with this purpose in mind. The design of the array permits it to be coupled with particle detector systems, such as the Oak Ridge Rutgers University Barrel Array (ORRUBA) of silicon detectors and the Versatile Array of Neutron Detectors at Low Energy (VANDLE). It is also designed to operate with the Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics (JENSA) advanced target system. HAGRiD’s design avoids compromising the charged-particle angular resolution due to compact geometries which are often used to increase the γ efficiency in other systems. First experiments with HAGRiD coupled to VANDLE as well as ORRUBA and JENSA are discussed.

Explosive stellar environments are sometimes driven by nuclear reactions on short-lived, radioactive nuclei. These reactions often drive the stellar explosion, alter the observable light curves produced, and dictate the final abundances of the isotopes created. Unfortunately, many reaction rates at stellar temperatures cannot be directly measured in the laboratory, due to the physical limitations of ultra-low cross sections and high background rates. An additional complication arises because many of the important reactions involve radioactive nuclei which have lifetimes too short to be made into a target. As such, direct reactions require very intense and pure beams of exotic nuclei. Indirect approaches with both stable and radioactive beams can, however, provide crucial information on the nuclei involved in these astrophysical reactions. A major development toward both direct and indirect studies of nuclear reactions rates is the commissioning of the Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics (JENSA) supersonic gas jet target. The JENSA system provides a pure, homogeneous, highly localized, dense, and robust gaseous target for radioactive ion beam studies. Charged-particle reactions measurements made with gas jet targets can be cleaner and display better resolution than with traditional targets. With the availability of pure and localized gas jet targets in combination with developments in exotic radioactive ion beams and next-generation detector systems, the range of reaction studies that are experimentally possible is vastly expanded. Various representative cases will be discussed.

An improved method for preparation of self-supporting deuterated polyethylene targets using solvent casting technique is described. The improved method provides recommendations for solvent heating, solvent casting of the thin film, and subsequent heating treatment which is shown to greatly enhance the overall target strength and durability as needed for accelerator experiments. A detailed characterization using both optical and electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrates the improvements using the post-casting heating treatment. The effects of heavy ion-induced target degradation and recommendations for use under these conditions is also discussed.

To take full advantage of advanced exotic beam facilities, target technology must also be advanced. Particularly important to the study of astrophysical reaction rates is the creation of localized and dense targets of hydrogen and helium. The Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics (JENSA) gas-jet target has been constructed for this purpose. JENSA was constructed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) where it was tested and characterized, and has now moved to the ReA3 reaccelerated beam hall at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University for use with radioactive beams.

A recoil separator SECAR has been designed to study radiative capture reactions relevant for the astrophysical rp-process in inverse kinematics for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). We describe the design, layout, and ion optics of the recoil separator and present the status of the project.

We report here on experiments with radioactive 21 Na and 7 Be beams performed by Colorado School of Mines students at the ISAC facility of TRIUMF and the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) of ORNL. At TRIUMF, the DRAGON recoil separator and its segmented BGO array were used to investigate higher energy resonances in the reaction H( 21 Na, γ) 22 Mg. Using the HRIBF we performed an experiment with a 7 Be ion beam to measure scattering off Hydrogen and Carbon. Both elastic 7 Be + p scattering and for the first time resonant inelastic scattering 7 Be(p, p′) 7 Be ∗ were observed.

As part of the DOE RIA R&D effort we investigated the possibilities and problems of beam strippers in the different heavy ion accelerator components of a possible Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) facility. We focused on two beam stripping positions in the RIA heavy ion driver where benchmark currents of up to 5 particle μA 238-U were projected at energies of 10.5 MeV/u and 85 MeV/u respectively. In order to select feasible stripper materials, data from experiments with Uranium beams at Texas A&M and GSI were evaluated. Based on these results thermal estimates for a possible design were calculated and cooling simulations with commercially available software performed. Additionally, we performed simulations with the GEANT4 code on evaluating the radiation environment for our beam stripping solution at the 85 MeV/u position in the RIA driver.

The 12 C( 12 C, 2n) 22 Mg reaction was measured with the CLARION array and the RMS separator at the Holifield Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This experiment was performed to gather more information on the excited states in 22 Mg, which might be of relevance to recent radioactive ion beam measurements of the astrophysically important 21 Na(p, γ) 22 Mg reaction. The results are compared to direct measurements, transfer experiments and a competing experiment performed with Gammasphere.