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The thermodynamical conditions and the neutron density produced in a laser-induced implosion of a deuterium-tritium (DT) filled capsule at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) are the closest laboratory analog of stellar conditions. We plan to investigate neutron-induced reactions on 40Ar, namely the 40Ar(n, 2n)39Ar(t1/2 =268 y), the 40Ar(n, γ)41Ar(110 min) and the potential rapid two-neutron capture reaction 40Ar(2n, γ)42Ar(33 y) in an Ar-loaded DT capsule. The chemical inertness of noble gas Ar enables reliable collection of the reaction products.

Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion sources and the production of multiple-charge positive ions with high efficiency in combination with a heavy-ion accelerator have opened the way to an alternative and complementary version of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). A notable strength of positive-ion over traditional AMS is the capability of ultra-high sensitivity detection of radioactive isotopes of noble gases, in particular 37Ar (t1/2 = 35 d) and 39Ar (269 y). The complete dissociation of molecular ions in the ECR and in particular of hydride ions of neighboring stable isotopes results in superior isotopic separation. However, the use of high charge states, necessary for acceleration to high energy, entails the existence of severe transmission degeneracies with stable ions having nearly equal mass-to-charge ratios, in addition to that of stable isobaric ions. Separation or discrimination of these parasitic ions require powerful and sophisticated dispersive systems at detection stage. We review here work performed and in progress at the ATLAS facility of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) where an ECR ion source, a Radio-Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), a superconducting linear accelerator and a Gas-Filled Magnet (GFM) are used as an AMS setup.

At Argonne we have enhanced the AMS capabilities of the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) to attempt to minimize crosstalk between samples and to quickly move from one (M/Q) setting to another in order to make measurements on a large number of samples provided by the MANTRA (Measurement of Actinide Neutron Transmutation Rates by Accelerator mass spectrometry) project. Those improvements include the use of a picosecond laser to ablate actinide material into the source, a new 20-sample holder that can switch samples within 1–2 min, and a number of accelerator configuration improvements that allow quick and precise switching between species. In principle, AMS can provide production yields of actinide isotopes produced during the irradiation period at a sensitivity exceeding other mass spectrometry techniques. A total of 27 irradiated samples of a variety of actinides have been provided for measurement. We discuss our experience with these facility improvements and how well we have met our performance goals. In addition, we present preliminary results on a number of the irradiated actinide samples with this approach and compare those results to Multi-Collector ICPMS measurements.

The Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS) has transformed the nuclear physics research field over the last 47 years. Today, the performance of ion sources is the first parameter that defines the design performance of existing facilities as well as the design approach and performance of new facilities. In this paper, I will review the current "state of the art" performance capabilities for ECRISs as well as other ion sources and how those current capabilities form the primary design criteria for new nuclear physics facilities and set the limiting performance for existing facilities. I will close with a short-term look into the future for these ion sources and other competing types.

This paper describes the production and characterization of a 26Al beam comprised of both, its 5 + ground state, and its 0 + isomeric state. The 26Al beam was produced in-flight via the p (26Mg, 26Al)n reaction. The isomer fraction of the 26Al beam was maximized by choosing a bombarding energy of 158.5 MeV for the 26Mg primary beam. The resulting beam had an energy of 120 MeV, a total intensity of 2 × 10 5 particles/sec, a purity of 98% and an isomer content of 70%. This high-quality 26Al isomeric beam was used to study the 26Al m (d, p)27Al reaction relevant for understanding the nucleosynthesis of 26Al in the Galaxy.

A large number of (α,p)(α,p) and (α,n)(α,n) reactions are known to play a fundamental role in nuclear astrophysics. This work presents a novel technique to study these reactions with the active target system MUSIC whose segmented anode allows the investigation of a large energy range of the excitation function with a single beam energy. In order to verify the method, we performed direct measurements of the previously measured reactions 17O (α,n)(α,n)20Ne, 23Na (α,p)(α,p)26Mg, and 23Na (α,n)(α,n)26Al. These reactions were investigated in inverse kinematics using 4He gas in the detector to study the excitation functions in the energy range of about 2–6 MeV in the center of mass. We found good agreement between the cross sections of the 17O (α,n)(α,n)20Ne reaction measured in this work and previous measurements. Furthermore we have successfully performed a simultaneous measurement of the 23Na (α,p)(α,p)26Mg and 23Na (α,n)(α,n)26Al reactions.

Spectroscopic data, such as precise γ-ray branching and E2/M1 multipole-mixing ratios, provide vital constraints when performing multi-dimensional Coulomb-excitation analyses. Consequently, as part of our new Coulomb-excitation campaign aimed at investigating the role of exotic non-axial (triaxial) deformations in the unstable refractory Ru-Mo isotopes, additional beta-decay data was obtained. These measurements make use of ANL’s CARIBU facility, which provides intense beams of radioactive refractory isotopes along with the excellent efficiency and angular resolution of the GRETINA γ-ray tracking array. In this article, we report on the analysis of the A = 110 decay chain, focussing on the identification of previously unreported states in 110Ru following the decay of 110Tc.

A laser ablation material injection system has been developed at the ATLAS electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source for use in accelerator mass spectrometry experiments. Beam production with laser ablation initially suffered from instabilities due to fluctuations in laser energy and cratering on the sample surface by the laser. However, these instabilities were rectified by applying feedback correction for the laser energy and rastering the laser across the sample surface. An initial experiment successfully produced and accelerated low intensity actinide beams with up to 1000 counts per second. With continued development, laser ablation shows promise as an alternative material injection scheme for ECR ion sources and may help substantially reduce cross talk in the source.

The ^{36}Ar(n,γ)^{37}Ar (t_{1/2}=35 d) and ^{38}Ar(n,γ)^{39}Ar (269 yr) reactions were studied for the first time with a quasi-Maxwellian (kT∼47 keV) neutron flux for Maxwellian average cross section (MACS) measurements at stellar energies. Gas samples were irradiated at the high-intensity Soreq applied research accelerator facility-liquid-lithium target neutron source and the ^{37}Ar/^{36}Ar and ^{39}Ar/^{38}Ar ratios in the activated samples were determined by accelerator mass spectrometry at the ATLAS facility (Argonne National Laboratory). The ^{37}Ar activity was also measured by low-level counting at the University of Bern. Experimental MACS of ^{36}Ar and ^{38}Ar, corrected to the standard 30 keV thermal energy, are 1.9(3) and 1.3(2) mb, respectively, differing from the theoretical and evaluated values published to date by up to an order of magnitude. The neutron-capture cross sections of ^{36,38}Ar are relevant to the stellar nucleosynthesis of light neutron-rich nuclides; the two experimental values are shown to affect the calculated mass fraction of nuclides in the region A=36-48 during the weak s process. The new production cross sections have implications also for the use of ^{37}Ar and ^{39}Ar as environmental tracers in the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

International audience; Carbon burning is a critical phase for nucleosynthesis in massive stars. The conditions for igniting this burning stage, and the subsequent isotope composition of the resulting ashes, depend strongly on the reaction rate for C12+C12 fusion at very low energies. Results for the cross sections for this reaction are influenced by various backgrounds encountered in measurements at such energies. In this paper, we report on a new measurement of C12+C12 fusion cross sections where these backgrounds have been minimized. It is found that the astrophysical S factor exhibits a maximum around Ecm=3.5–4.0 MeV, which leads to a reduction of the previously predicted astrophysical reaction rate.

Reaction rates involving α-particles are known to be important in different astrophysical scenarios. Direct measurements of these reactions at relevant astrophysical energies are experimentally challenging. This is due to the typically small cross sections of these reactions and the experimental difficulties associated with low intensity radioactive beams needed to study them. As a consequence, most of these reaction rates are still unknown. The MUlti-Sampling Ionization Chamber (MUSIC) detector, a simple and highly efficient active target system, has been developed for measurements of (α, n) and (α, p) reactions. Recent results on the direct measurement of (α, p) and (α, n) reactions in the MUSIC detector and future possibilities are presented in this work.

A new large-acceptance RF beam sweeper was designed, constructed and put into operation with the goal to remove the energy-degraded primary beams tails from radioactive beams (RIB) produced by in-flight transfer or charge-exchange reactions. The system makes use of the velocity difference between the RIB beam of interest and the remaining tails of the primary beam after momentum selection by a bending magnet. The time-delayed primary beam components are deflected vertically out of the beam path by the RF sweeper, significantly reducing the stable beam background. Beam purity for the in-flight radioactive ion beams as high as 96% has been achieved with this system.

The existence of $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ (${t}_{1/2}=7.17\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{5}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{yr}$) in the interstellar medium provides a direct confirmation of ongoing nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy. The presence of a low-lying ${0}^{+}$ isomer (${^{26}\mathrm{Al}}^{m}$), however, severely complicates the astrophysical calculations. We present for the first time a study of the ${^{26}\mathrm{Al}}^{m}(d,p)^{27}\mathrm{Al}$ reaction using an isomeric $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ beam. The selectivity of this reaction allowed the study of $\ensuremath{\ell}=0$ transfers to $T=1/2$, and $T=3/2$ states in $^{27}\mathrm{Al}$. Mirror symmetry arguments were then used to constrain the ${^{26}\mathrm{Al}}^{m}(p,\ensuremath{\gamma})^{27}\mathrm{Si}$ reaction rate and provide an experimentally determined upper limit of the rate for the destruction of isomeric $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ via radiative proton capture reactions, which is expected to dominate the destruction path of ${^{26}\mathrm{Al}}^{m}$ in asymptotic giant branch stars, classical novae, and core collapse supernovae.

International audience; The 12C+12C fusion reaction is one of the most important for nuclear astrophysics since it determines the carbon ignition in stellar environments. Two experiments which make use of the gamma-particle coincidence technique to measure the 12C+12C S-factors at deep sub barrier energies are discussed. Results are presented showing a decrease of the S-factor below Ec.m. = 3 MeV.

The octupole strength present in the neutron-rich, radiocative nucleus $^{146}$Ba has been experimentally determined for the first time using Coulomb excitation. To achieve this, $A$=146 fission fragments from CARIBU were post-accelerated by the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) and impinged on a thin $^{208}$Pb target. Using the GRETINA $\gamma$-ray spectrometer and the CHICO2 heavy-ion counter, the reduced transition probability $B(E3;3^-$$\rightarrow$$0^+)$ was determined as 48($^{+21}_{-29}$) W.u. The new result provides further experimental evidence for the presence of a region of octupole deformation surrounding the neutron-rich barium isotopes.

Despite the more than 1 order of magnitude difference between the measured dipole moments in ^{144}Ba and ^{146}Ba, the octupole correlations in ^{146}Ba are found to be as strong as those in ^{144}Ba with a similarly large value of B(E3;3^{-}→0^{+}) determined as 48(+21-29) W.u. The new results not only establish unambiguously the presence of a region of octupole deformation centered on these neutron-rich Ba isotopes, but also manifest the dependence of the electric dipole moments on the occupancy of different neutron orbitals in nuclei with enhanced octupole strength, as revealed by fully microscopic calculations.

The existence of ^{26}Al (t_{1/2}=7.17×10^{5} yr) in the interstellar medium provides a direct confirmation of ongoing nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy. The presence of a low-lying 0^{+} isomer (^{26}Al^{m}), however, severely complicates the astrophysical calculations. We present for the first time a study of the ^{26}Al^{m}(d,p)^{27}Al reaction using an isomeric ^{26}Al beam. The selectivity of this reaction allowed the study of ℓ=0 transfers to T=1/2, and T=3/2 states in ^{27}Al. Mirror symmetry arguments were then used to constrain the ^{26}Al^{m}(p,γ)^{27}Si reaction rate and provide an experimentally determined upper limit of the rate for the destruction of isomeric ^{26}Al via radiative proton capture reactions, which is expected to dominate the destruction path of ^{26}Al^{m} in asymptotic giant branch stars, classical novae, and core collapse supernovae.

International audience; A multi-step Coulomb excitation measurement with the GRETINA and CHICO2 detector arrays was carried out with a 430-MeV beam of the neutron-rich $^{110}$Ru (t$_{1/2}$= 12 s) isotope produced at the CARIBU facility. This represents the first successful measurement following the post-acceleration of an unstable isotope of a refractory element. The reduced transition probabilities obtained for levels near the ground state provide strong evidence for a triaxial shape; a conclusion confirmed by comparisons with the results of beyond-mean-field and triaxial rotor model calculations.

Carbon burning plays a crucial role in stellar evolution, where this reaction is an important route for the production of heavier elements. A particle-γ coincidence technique that minimizes the backgrounds to which this reaction is subject and provides reliable cross sections has been used at the Argonne National Laboratory to measure fusion cross-sections at deep sub-barrier energies in the 12 C+12 C system. The corresponding excitation function has been extracted down to a cross section of about 6 nb. This indicates the existence of a broad S-factor maximum for this system. Experimental results are presented and discussed.

This paper presents an update of an on-going collaborative INL-ANL-ISU integral reactor physics experiment whose objective is to infer the effective neutron capture cross sections for most of the actinides of importance for reactor physics and fuel cycle studies in both fast and epithermal spectra. Some fission products are also being considered. The principle of the experiment is to irradiate very pure actinide samples in the Advanced Test Reactor at INL and, after a given time, determine the amount of the different transmutation products. The determination of the nuclide densities before and after neutron irradiation together with the neutron fluence will allow inference of effective neutron capture cross-sections in different neutron spectra.

The $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},p)^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ and $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},n)^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ reactions are important for our understanding of the $^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ abundance in massive stars. The aim of this work is to report on a direct and simultaneous measurement of these astrophysically important reactions using an active target system. The reactions were investigated in inverse kinematics using $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ as the active target gas in the detector. We measured the excitation functions in the energy range of about 2 to 6 MeV in the center of mass. We have found that the cross sections of the $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},p)^{26}\mathrm{Mg}$ and the $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},n)^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ reactions are in good agreement with previous experiments and with statistical-model calculations. The astrophysical reaction rate of the $^{23}\mathrm{Na}(\ensuremath{\alpha},n)^{26}\mathrm{Al}$ reaction has been reevaluated and it was found to be larger than the recommended rate.

A project to measure neutron capture cross sections of a number of actinides in a reactor environment by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at the ATLAS facility of Argonne National Laboratory is underway. This project will require the precise and accurate measurement of produced actinide isotopes in many (>30) samples irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory with neutron fluxes having different energy distributions. The AMS technique at ATLAS is based on production of highly-charged positive ions in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source followed by acceleration in the ATLAS linac and mass-to-charge ( m / q ) measurement at the focus of the Fragment Mass Analyzer. Laser ablation was selected as the method of feeding the actinide material into the ion source because we expect it will have higher efficiency and lower chamber contamination than either the oven or sputtering techniques, because of a much narrower angular distribution of emitted material. In addition, a new multi-sample holder/changer to allow quick change between samples and a computer-controlled routine allowing fast tuning of the accelerator for different beams, are being developed. An initial test run studying backgrounds, detector response, and accelerator scaling repeatability was conducted in December 2010. The project design, schedule, and results of the initial test run to study backgrounds are discussed.

The extinct p-process nuclide 146Sm (t1/2 = 103 ± 5 Myr) is known to have been present in the Early-Solar System and has been proposed as an astrophysical chronometer. 146Sm is also intensely used to date meteorite and planetary differentiation processes, enhancing the importance of an accurate knowledge of the 146Sm half-life. We are engaged in a new determination of the 146Sm half-life in which the 146Sm/147Sm atom ratio is determined by accelerator mass spectrometry at the ATLAS facility of Argonne National Laboratory. In order to reduce systematic errors in the AMS determination of the 146Sm/147Sm ratios (in the range of 10-7-10-9), 146Sm and 147Sm ions were alternately counted in the same detector in the focal plane of a gas-filled magnet, respectively in continuous-wave and attenuated mode. Quantitative attenuation is obtained with the 12 MHz pulsed and ns-bunched ATLAS beam by chopping beam pulses with an RF sweeper in a ratio (digitally determined) down to 1:106. The experiments and preliminary results are discussed. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., SCOPUS: cp.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Research efforts ranging from studies of solid helium to searches for a neutron electric dipole moment require isotopically purified helium with a ratio of ^3He to ^4He at levels below that which can be measured using traditional mass spectroscopy techniques. We demonstrate an approach to such a measurement using accelerator mass spectroscopy, reaching the 10^(−14) level of sensitivity, several orders of magnitude more sensitive than other techniques. Measurements of ^3He/^4He in samples relevant to the measurement of the neutron lifetime indicate the need for substantial corrections. We also argue that there is a clear path forward to sensitivity increases of at least another order of magnitude.

We have studied the $^{14,15}\mathrm{C}(d,^{3}\mathrm{He})^{13,14}\mathrm{B}$ proton-removing reactions in inverse kinematics. The $(d,^{3}\mathrm{He})$ reaction probes the proton occupation of the target ground state, and also provides spectroscopic information about the final states in $^{13,14}\mathrm{B}$. The experiments were performed using $^{14,15}\mathrm{C}$ beams from the ATLAS accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory. The reaction products were analyzed with the HELIOS device. Angular distributions were obtained for transitions from both reactions. The $^{14}\mathrm{C}$-beam data reveal transitions to excited states in $^{13}\mathrm{B}$ that suggest configurations with protons outside the $\ensuremath{\pi}(0{p}_{3/2})$ orbital, and some possibility of proton cross-shell $0p\text{\ensuremath{-}}1s0d$ excitations, in the $^{14}\mathrm{C}$ ground state. The $^{15}\mathrm{C}$-beam data confirm the existence of a broad ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ excited state in $^{14}\mathrm{B}$. The experimental data are compared to the results of shell-model calculations.

The neutron-rich nucleus $^{144}$Ba ($t_{1/2}$=11.5 s) is expected to exhibit some of the strongest octupole correlations among nuclei with mass numbers $A$ less than 200. Until now, indirect evidence for such strong correlations has been inferred from observations such as enhanced $E1$ transitions and interleaving positive- and negative-parity levels in the ground-state band. In this experiment, the octupole strength was measured directly by sub-barrier, multi-step Coulomb excitation of a post-accelerated 650-MeV $^{144}$Ba beam on a 1.0-mg/cm$^2$ $^{208}$Pb target. The measured value of the matrix element, $\langle 3_1^- \| \mathcal{M}(E3) \| 0_1^+ \rangle=0.65(^{+17}_{-23})$ $e$b$^{3/2}$, corresponds to a reduced $B(E3)$ transition probability of 48($^{+25}_{-34}$) W.u. This result represents an unambiguous determination of the octupole collectivity, is larger than any available theoretical prediction, and is consistent with octupole deformation., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, Physical Review Letters 2016

The Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System (ATLAS) is the world's first superconducting accelerator for projectiles heavier than the electron. This unique system is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national user research facility open to scientists from all over the world. It is located within the Physics Division at Argonne National Laboratory and is one of five large scientific user facilities located at the laboratory.

A particle- γ coincidence technique has been used to measure the fusion cross-section in the system 12C+12C at low beam energies. Based on these results, it should be possible to measure this important fusion cross-section down to the 10 pb level within a week-long run.

The first application of 39Ar Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at the ATLAS facility of Argonne National Laboratory was to date ocean water samples relevant to oceanographic studies using the gas-filled magnet technique to separate the 39K–39Ar isobars. In particular the use of a quartz liner in the plasma chamber of the electron cyclotron resonance ion source enabled a 39K reduction of a factor ∼130 compared to previous runs without liners, and allowed us to reach a detection sensitivity of 39Ar/Ar = 4 × 10−17. In order to improve this sensitivity and allow the measurement of lower ratios, higher ion source currents and a lower overall 39K background are necessary. This paper summarizes our efforts to investigate new methods combining low level potassium cleaning techniques with the use of ultra-pure aluminum liners in the plasma chamber of the ion source. The aim of the study was to improve by 1–2 orders of magnitude the 39Ar detection sensitivity required in the selection of ultra-pure materials for detectors used in weakly interacting massive particle dark matter searches.

The use of the gas-filled magnet technique for the detection of intermediate mass ( A ∼ 20–40) recoil nuclei produced in (p, α ) reactions in inverse kinematics has been investigated. Through a series of calibration measurements with 27 Al, 28,29 Si and 33 S beams the optimum parameterization for calculating the average charge-state distribution in a gas-filled magnet has been determined. By measuring the magnetic rigidity, the time-of-flight and the differential energy loss of the particles at the focal plane of a gas-filled Enge Split Pole spectrograph it was possible to separate and identify the (p, α ) reaction products from elastically scattered particles at very small scattering angles. This technique was then tested by measuring the p( 33 S, 30 P) α and p( 37 K, 34 Cl) α reactions.

The principle of the proposed experiment is to irradiate very pure actinide samples in the Advanced Test Reactor at INL and, after a given time, determine the amount of the different transmutation products. The determination of the nuclide densities before and after neutron irradiation will allow inference of effective neutron capture cross-sections. This approach has been used in the past and the novelty of this experiment is that the atom densities of the different transmutation products will be determined using the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry technique at the ATLAS facility located at ANL. It is currently planned to irradiate the following isotopes: 232Th, 235U, 236U, 238U, 237Np, 238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu, 242Pu, 241Am, 243Am, 244Cm and 248Cm.

In this paper we discuss the properties of gas cell targets used for the production of radioactive beams via the in-flight technique as well as gas cell targets used for studies of nuclear reactions in inverse kinematics at the ATLAS heavy ion accelerator.

The Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) to the ATLAS superconducting linac facility is currently being commissioned. It provides low-energy and re-accelerated beams of neutron-rich isotopes obtained from 252Cf fission. The fission products from a 252Cf source are stopped in a large high-intensity gas catcher, thermalized and extracted through an RFQ cooler, accelerated to 50 kV and mass separated in a high-resolution separator before being sent to either an ECR charge breeder for post-acceleration through the ATLAS linac or to a low-energy experimental area. This approach gives access to beams of very neutron-rich isotopes, many of which have not been available at low or Coulomb barrier energies previously. These beams provide unique opportunities for measurements along the r-process path. To take advantage of these unique possibility, the reaccelerated beams from CARIBU will be made available at the experimental stations of ATLAS to serve equipment such as Gammasphere, HELIOS and the reaction spectrometers. In addition, the Canadian Penning Trap (CPT) mass spectrometer has been moved to the CARIBU low-energy experimental area and a new injection line has been built. The new injection line consists of a RFQ buncher sitting on a 50 kV high-voltage platform that will accumulate the mass separated 50 kV radioactive beams, cool and extract them as a pulsed beam of 3 keV. This beam can be sent either to a tape station for diagnostics and tuning, or a cryogenic linear trap for preparation before transfer to the high-precision Penning trap where the mass measurements will take place. Initial CARIBU commissioning is proceeding with a 2 mCi source that will be replaced by a 100 mCi source as the commissioning proceeds. Final operation will use a 1 Ci source and attain yield in excess of 107 ions/sec for the most intense beams at low energy, an order of magnitude less for reaccelerated beams.

The near-term radioactive beam capabilities of ATLAS include radioactive beams produced in flight in a gas cell, or starting in the fall of 2009, re-accelerated beams of 252 Cf fission fragments provided by the new CARIBU injector. The availability of such exotic beams will allow for detailed studies of the single-particle aspects of nuclear structure in neutron-rich nuclei reaching out to the astrophysical r-process path by employing light-ion reactions in inverse kinematics. The HELIOS spectrometer is based on a new concept that is especially well suited for such studies. This concept was recently demonstrated using the reactions D (28 Si , p )29 Si with a (stable) 168 MeV 28 Si beam. Since then D (12 B , p )13 B , D (17 O , p )18 O , and D (15 C , p )16 C have been studied successfully. The combination of neutron-rich beams from CARIBU and the HELIOS spectrometer opens a fertile research area of precision studies of the single particle strengths and collective excitations in exotic nuclei, and is likely to have applications in other reactions as well.

An Electron Beam Ion Source Charge Breeder (EBIS-CB) has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory as part of the californium rare ion breeder upgrade. For the past year, the EBIS-CB has been undergoing commissioning as part of the ATLAS accelerator complex. It has delivered both stable and radioactive beams with A/Q6, breeding times30 ms, low background contamination, and charge breeding efficiencies18% into a single charge state. The operation of this device, challenges during the commissioning phase, and future improvements will be discussed.

Gas catchers allow the transformation of radioactive recoils from various sources into a good optical quality low-energy radioactive beam that is then available for experiments at low-energy or for further acceleration. The CARIBU project uses such a large gas catcher to create beams of neutron-rich isotopes from a Californium source for post-acceleration through the ATLAS superconducting linac to open new research opportunities for nuclear structure physics and astrophysics. The RF gas catcher developed at Argonne has now demonstrated operation at the high intensity required for this application.

The Californium Rare Ion Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) for the ATLAS facility is under construction. The facility will use 252Cf fission fragments thermalized and collected into a low-energy particle beam by a helium gas catcher. In order to reaccelerate these beams an existing ATLAS ECR ion source is being reconfigured as a charge breeder source. A 1Ci 252Cf source will provide sufficient yield to deliver beams of up to ∼106 far-from-stability ions per second on target. The facility design, expected performance and the project status will be presented in this paper.

A detection technique for high-efficiency measurements of fusion reactions with low-intensity radioactive beams was developed. The technique is based on a Multi-Sampling Ionization Chamber (MUSIC) operating as an active target and detection system, where the ionization gas acts as both target and counting gas. In this way, we can sample an excitation function in an energy range determined by the gas pressure, without changing the beam energy. The detector provides internal normalization to the incident beam and drastically reduces the measuring time. In a first experiment we tested the performance of the technique by measuring the 10,13,15C+12C fusion reactions at energies around the Coulomb barrier. Fil: Carnelli, Patricio Francisco Florencio. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Investigación y Aplicaciones No Nucleares. Gerencia Física (Centro Atómico Constituyentes). Proyecto Tandar; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Almaraz Calderón, S.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Rehm, K. E.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Albers, M.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Alcorta, M.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Bertone, P. F.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Digiovine, B.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Esbensen, H.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Fernandez Niello, Jorge Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Investigación y Aplicaciones No Nucleares. Gerencia Física (Centro Atómico Constituyentes). Proyecto Tandar; Argentina Fil: Henderson, D.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Jiang, C. L.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Lai, J.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Marley, S. T.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Nusair, O.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Palchan Hazan, T.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Pardo, R.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Paul, M.. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Israel Fil: Ugalde, C.. Argonne National Laboratory; Estados Unidos