Production of isotopes near the heavy-element nucleosynthesis path at FRS
Journal article, 2026
Neutron-rich isotopes far from stability were produced and observed at the projectile Fragment Separator (FRS) of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in the FAIR Phase-0 experimental program. The isotopes were produced in April 2020 in the fragmentation of a 1.05 GeV/nucleon 208Pb beam on a beryllium target. The experiment targeted the neutron-rich region near the N=126 shell closure, a key area for understanding the astrophysical r -process, but largely unexplored due to the experimental challenges in producing such exotic nuclei. Within this work, we identified five isotopes which were not seen previously at FRS; 184Tm, 195Ta, 198W, 200Re, and 201Re — the latter located directly on the N=126 line. These observations corroborate the extension of the nuclear chart and highlight the capabilities of the FRS and of in-flight fragmentation at relativistic energies in accessing this region.
Isotope discovery
Fragmentation reactions
Nucleosynthesis
r-process
Author
S. Pietri
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
H. A. Rösch-Kabadayı
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
J. Enders
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
T. Grahn
University of Jyväskylä
Helsinki Institute of Physics
J. P. Hucka
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
T. Kurtukian
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
University of Bordeaux
M. Luoma
Helsinki Institute of Physics
University of Jyväskylä
A. M. Bruce
University of Brighton
T. Dickel
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
E. Haettner
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
C. Hornung
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
D. Kostyleva
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
W. R. Plaß
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Justus Liebig University Giessen
H. Weick
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
J. Wirtz
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
J. Zhao
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
H. M. Albers
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
D. Amanbayev
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Justus Liebig University Giessen
S. Ayet San Andres
Universitat de Valencia
J. Aysto
Helsinki Institute of Physics
University of Jyväskylä
S. Bagchi
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
S. Beck
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
J. Benlluire
University of Santiago de Compostela (USC)
J. Bergmann
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Z. Brencic
University of Ljubljana
Jozef Stefan Institute
H. Geissel
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
F. Greiner
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
L. Gröf
Justus Liebig University Giessen
M. N. Harakeh
University of Groningen
Andreas Heinz
Chalmers, Physics, Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics
C. E. Jones
University of Brighton
N. Kalantar-Nayestanaki
University of Groningen
A. Kankainen
University of Jyväskylä
Helsinki Institute of Physics
A. Kelić-Heil
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
B. Kindler
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
G. Kripko-Koncz
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Justus Liebig University Giessen
N. Kuzuminchuk
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
B. Lommel
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
K. Mahajan
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Justus Liebig University Giessen
I. Miskun
Justus Liebig University Giessen
A. Mistry
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
A. Mollaebrahimi
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Justus Liebig University Giessen
I. G. Mukha
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
G. Munzenberg
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
M. Pfützner
University of Warsaw
Z. Podolyak
University of Surrey
S. Purushotaman
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
C. Rappold
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
P. H. Regan
University of Surrey
National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
J. L. Rodriguez-Sanchez
University of Santiago de Compostela (USC)
C. Scheidenberger
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
H. Simon
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
J. Taieb
University Paris-Saclay
CEA Dam Ile-de France
Y. K. Tanaka
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
RIKEN
Hans Törnqvist
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
M. Vencelj
Jozef Stefan Institute
J. Vesic
Jozef Stefan Institute
J. S. Winfield
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
M. Winkler
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
0370-2693 (ISSN)
Vol. 880 140729Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology
Subatomic Physics
DOI
10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140729