NeuLAND - FAIR

processes in the universe, such as the properties of neutron stars and the synthesis of the
heavy elements. R 3 B will constitute a unique setup to investigate these topics utilizing
relativistic beams. The advantages of utilizing high-energy beams are many-fold. First,
the production, separation, and identification of radioactive beams at high energies is
very efficient due to the kinematical forward focussing and the possibility to use thick
targets. Second, it also enables a clean separation of even heavy beams with masses
A ≥ 200 due to the fact that ions are fully stripped, a pre-requisite for the magnetic
analysis and separation of heavy ions. Similar arguments hold for the measurement
of secondary reactions with these beams. R 3 B will be the first experiment which will
allow a kinematically complete measurement of peripheral reactions with such heavy ion
beams including the coincident detection and identification of the heavy residues as well
as neutrons and photons. Other advantages of the high beam energy are related to the
reaction mechanisms, which become simpler, permitting reliable model description, at
higher beam energies. At high velocity, reactions can be accurately described by theory,
nuclear-structure observables are less entangled with the reaction mechanism, and can
thus be deduced more precisely.
In this report we do not describe the complete R 3 B experimental setup with its instrumentation
but we would like to refer the reader to the R 3 B Technical Proposal [R3B-05].
However, to understand the context, we briefly mention the development and construction
status of the main components of the R 3 B setup, as shown in figure 1.1.
Key instruments besides NeuLAND, are the photon and particle calorimeter CALIFA,
the silicon tracker R 3 B-Si-TRACKER, and the super-conducting large-acceptance dipole
R 3 B-GLAD. In addition, several charged-particle detectors are used for beam tracking,
∆E and time-of-flight measurements. The CALIFA detector consists of two parts, the
forward end-cap and the barrel part. A Technical Design Report for the barrel part of
CALIFA is being submitted in parallel to this report. Construction is foreseen to start
in 2012. The Technical Design of the end-cap is still ongoing and will be finalized in
2013. The target recoil detector is being designed by a consortium of institutes from the
UK under the leadership of Daresbury laboratory. The funds for the R&D and the final
construction are secured by the UK funding agencies and the complete detector will be
available for experiments in 2016. The construction of the superconducting dipole magnet
has already started at CEA Saclay and the cold mass including the superconducting
coils have been already assembled. The completion and delivery of the device is foreseen
for the end of 2012. The magnet will then be installed in Cave C at the present GSI
facility.
The challenges of performing nuclear-structure and reaction experiments at relativistic
beam velocities are related to the high magnetic rigidity of the ions and the demands
on the overall resolution of the detection system. The experiment has to resolve excitation
energies in the 100 keV domain populated in a reaction with, e.g., a 132 Sn beam
(1 AGeV) with a momentum of 220 GeV/c. The precursor experiment of R 3 B, the
ALADIN-LAND setup at GSI, on which the concept of R 3 B is based, does not have these
capabilities. Although very successful during the past 20 years, the main limitations of
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