Neutron-rich rare isotope production and studies of the N/Z degree of freedom in binary collisions at Fermi energies Original Research Article

The production of neutron-rich projectile residues in deep-inelastic collisions at Fermi energies and the scaling of their yields are investigated in this work. A large enhancement in the production of neutron-rich fragments was observed in the reactions of a 25 MeV/nucleon 86Kr beam with the neutron rich 64Ni and 124Sn targets. Simulations using a deep-inelastic transfer (DIT) code indicate that the neutron skins of the neutron-rich targets play an important role. From a practical viewpoint, such reactions may offer a novel way to access very neutron-rich rare isotopes. In parallel to the production studies, the scaling properties of the residue yields are investigated. An approach to study the process of N/Z equilibration has been developed based on residue yield ratios. This approach may provide a valuable tool of isospin studies with radioactive beams.