Recent results in fragmentation isomer spectroscopy with rising

The first results from the stopped beam RISING experimental campaign performed at the GSI laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany, are presented. RISING (Rare Isotope Investigations at GSI) constitutes a major new experimental program in European nuclear structure physics research aimed at using relativistic energy (typically around I GeV per nucleon) projectile fragmentation reactions to populate nuclei with highly exotic proton-to-neutron ratios compared to the line of beta stability. In its high-efficiency 'stopped beam' configuration, the RISING gamma-ray spectrometer consists of 105 individual, large volume germanium crystals which view a focal plane in which the exotic nuclei are brought to rest (i.e. 'stopped'). Here, decays from metastable or 'isomeric' states with half-lives in the nano to milliseconds range can be observed, often providing the first spectroscopic information on these exotic nuclear species. This paper introduces the physics aims of the stopped RISING collaboration and presents some technical details on the RISING detector array. Results of initial commissioning experiments are also shown and details of the planned future experimental program are given. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.