n-capture in inverse kinematics

Virtually all of the isotopes heavier than iron would not exist without neutron-induced reactions. Despite there importance in many different astrophysical scenarios, there are almost no direct measurements for isotopes with half-lives shorter than a few years. A radically new approach is necessary to overcome this constraint. Ion storage rings offer unprecedented possibilities to investigate radioactive isotopes of astrophysical importance in inverse kinematics. During the last years, a series of pioneering experiments proofed the feasibility of this concept for the fusion of charged particles at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI. In the future, a combination of a free-neutron target and an ion storage ring can bring the half-life limit for direct neutron-induced reactions down to fractions of a minute.

I will review different astrophysical scenarios, status of current experiments as well as prospects of this new experimental endeavor.

Speaker: Rene Reifarth, Los Alamos National Laboratory