Nuclear astrophysics with ion storage rings at GSI

Dr. Ragandeep Singh Sidhu
School of Physics and Astronomy
University of Edinburgh, UK

Storage rings are powerful versatile tools for precision experiments with stored highly-charged stable and radioactive ions in the realm of nuclear structure and astrophysics. The storage rings at GSI Helmholtz Center in Darmstadt, Germany (GSI), namely, the heavy-ion storage ring - Experimental Storage Ring (ESR), and the low energy storage ring - CRYRING provide unique possibilities to enable the most efficient use of precious rare ion species. Beam manipulation techniques like bunching, accumulation, and deceleration aids to store sufficient intensity of ions of interest in the relevant energy regime, thanks to the ultra-high vacuum conditions, 10⁻¹¹-10⁻¹² mbar, and efficient beam cooling techniques. With enormously rich physics cases, the focus of the talk will be on the most recent highlight results achieved within the FAIR-Phase 0 research program at the ESR and the CRYRING storage rings. Moreover, an extended outlook on the planned future measurements and facilities will be given.

Hosted by Prof. Wiescher