Further Reading — Chapter 30

Textbooks

Helmut Wiedemann, Particle Accelerator Physics, 4th ed. (Springer, 2015). The standard graduate-level textbook on accelerator physics. Covers electrostatics, cyclotrons, linacs, synchrotrons, beam optics, and RF systems. More depth than needed for a nuclear physics course, but an essential reference if you want to understand the machines at a professional level.

Klaus Wille, The Physics of Particle Accelerators (Oxford University Press, 2000). A more accessible introduction to accelerator principles than Wiedemann. Particularly good on the intuitive physics of beam focusing, phase stability, and synchrotron radiation.

Kenneth S. Krane, Introductory Nuclear Physics (Wiley, 1988), Chapter 7 (excerpts). Krane's discussion of experimental methods, while dated, provides a clear introduction to detector principles (gas, scintillation, semiconductor) that complements the accelerator material in this chapter. The detector physics background in Chapter 16 of this book updates and extends Krane's treatment.

Claus E. Rolfs and William S. Rodney, Cauldrons in the Cosmos (University of Chicago Press, 1988), Chapter 4. An excellent discussion of accelerators and experimental techniques specifically in the context of nuclear astrophysics. Covers Van de Graaff accelerators, target preparation, and low-energy cross-section measurements with clarity and insight.

Review Articles

B. Sherrill, "The Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) and Beyond," Nuclear Instruments and Methods B, Vol. 204, pp. 765–770 (2003). An early articulation of the science case for what became FRIB. Useful for understanding the scientific motivation behind the facility design choices.

T. Kubo, "In-Flight RI Beam Separator BigRIPS at RIKEN and Elsewhere in Japan," Nuclear Instruments and Methods B, Vol. 204, pp. 97–113 (2003). A comprehensive description of the BigRIPS fragment separator design and the RIKEN-RIBF scientific program.

Y. Blumenfeld, T. Nilsson, and P. Van Duppen, "Facilities and Methods for Radioactive Ion Beam Production," Physica Scripta, Vol. T152, 014023 (2013). An excellent comparative review of ISOL and fragmentation methods, covering the physics, technology, and relative advantages of each. Includes a thorough discussion of target/ion-source development and post-acceleration.

M. Thoennessen, "Discovery of Nuclides Project," International Journal of Modern Physics E, Vol. 25, 1630003 (2016), and the live database at https://people.nscl.msu.edu/~thoennes/isotopes/. A comprehensive accounting of all discovered nuclides, organized by element, year, and facility. Provides a quantitative picture of how the chart of nuclides has been explored over time.

Experimental Techniques — Specialized Reviews

S. Paschalis et al., "The Performance of the Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking In-Beam Nuclear Array GRETINA," Nuclear Instruments and Methods A, Vol. 709, pp. 44–55 (2013). The technical reference for GRETINA. Describes the detector design, the signal decomposition algorithm, the gamma-ray tracking algorithm, and the achieved performance (energy resolution, position resolution, efficiency).

E. Farnea et al., "Conceptual Design and Monte Carlo Simulations of the AGATA Array," Nuclear Instruments and Methods A, Vol. 621, pp. 331–343 (2010). The corresponding technical reference for the European AGATA tracking array.

K. Blaum, "High-Accuracy Mass Spectrometry with Stored Ions," Physics Reports, Vol. 425, pp. 1–78 (2006). A thorough review of Penning trap and storage-ring mass spectrometry for nuclear physics. Covers the measurement principles, the apparatus, achievable precisions, and nuclear physics applications. Essential reading for anyone interested in mass measurements.

R.N. Wolf et al., "ISOLTRAP's Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Separator/Spectrometer," International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 349–350, pp. 123–133 (2013). Describes the MR-TOF technique and its first application for nuclear physics mass measurements at ISOLDE.

P. Campbell, I.D. Moore, and M.R. Pearson, "Laser Spectroscopy for Nuclear Structure Physics," Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, Vol. 86, pp. 127–180 (2016). A comprehensive review of laser spectroscopy techniques for radioactive isotopes: collinear fluorescence, collinear resonance ionization, and in-gas-cell spectroscopy. Covers the physics (isotope shifts, hyperfine structure), the experimental methods, and the nuclear structure information extracted.

D. Bazin et al., "The AT-TPC: A Novel Active Target Time Projection Chamber for Low-Energy Nuclear Physics," Nuclear Instruments and Methods A, Vol. 790, pp. 1–8 (2015). The original design paper for the Active Target Time Projection Chamber at Michigan State University.

Facility Websites

Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). https://frib.msu.edu/ Official website with scientific highlights, user information, experiment scheduling, and technical specifications.

CERN-ISOLDE. https://isolde.cern/ Home page of the ISOLDE facility at CERN. Includes the ISOLDE yield database (measured production yields for all available beams), experiment listings, and links to technical publications.

RIKEN Nishina Center / RIBF. https://www.nishina.riken.jp/ The RIKEN accelerator complex, including the RIBF cyclotron cascade and experimental programs.

GSI / FAIR. https://www.gsi.de/ and https://www.fair-center.eu/ The current GSI facility and the FAIR construction project. The FAIR Technical Design Reports provide detailed descriptions of the planned accelerators and experiments.

For Further Exploration

"FRIB Reaches Full Design Energy" (DOE press release, February 2024). Available at https://frib.msu.edu/ Announcement of FRIB reaching its design beam power, with discussion of the scientific program enabled by the milestone.

A.B. Balantekin et al., "Nuclear Theory and Science of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams," Modern Physics Letters A, Vol. 29, 1430010 (2014). A white paper describing the theoretical questions that FRIB was designed to address: the limits of nuclear existence, nuclear structure far from stability, the origin of the elements, neutrino physics, and fundamental symmetries. A good overview of the science driving the entire field.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, An Assessment of U.S.-Based Electron-Ion Collider Science (2018). While focused on the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), this report provides useful context on how the U.S. nuclear physics community prioritizes facility investments and the process by which large facilities are planned and funded.