Study of beta decay half‐lives and beta‐delayed multi‐particle final states at Michigan State University

The first five years of operation of the Reaction Product Mass Separator (RPMS) at Michigan State University has produced information important for understanding the structure of many nuclei in the p and sd shells. We discuss the design and operation of the RPMS. The products of projectile fragmentation‐like reactions leave the mass separator with a much greater range than products separated with standard on‐line separators. We have taken advantage of this extended range distribution by implanting exotic species within silicon detectors, and detecting the decay products directly. Using this technique, we have measured the beta‐decay half‐lives of 14Be, 15B, 17B, 17C and 19N. We have also measured the beta‐delayed alpha emission from 18N. By containing the total charged‐particle decay energy of nuclear states left excited by beta decay within a single silicon detector, we have measured beta decay branching ratios of 9C, which always produces a delayed three‐body final state. These new measurements yield be...