Exploring the structure of light neutron-rich nuclei through quasi-free scattering reactions in inverse kinematics with the R3B setup at GSI/FAIR

Abstract

The evolution of nuclear shell structure, in particular the modification of traditional magic numbers as nuclei become increasingly neutron- or proton-rich, remains a central problem in contemporary nuclear physics. This thesis investigates the evolution of the proton shell closure at Z=6 in carbon isotopes as the neutron dripline is approached, through the study of quasi-free scattering (QFS) reactions in inverse kinematics. The experimental work was carried out using the R3B setup at GSI/FAIR, a versatile state-of-the-art detection system that enables complete kinematic reconstruction of reactions involving rare-isotope beams. The main focus of the research is the 19N(p,2p)18C reaction at relativistic energies, which provides direct access to the single-particle structure of 18C. By analyzing both bound and unbound final states, momentum distributions and exclusive cross sections are extracted and compared with theoretical calculations using different models, namely MOMDIS, Faddeev/AGS, and Tostevin's framework.