Escape suppressed spectrometer arrays: a revolution in γ-ray spectroscopy

The design and performance of Escape Suppressed γ-ray Spectrometer Arrays are described. The highlights of the new physics achieved with these arrays are described. These include: the observations of discrete superdeformed states up to spin 60 ℎ: the systematic studies of aligned many quasi-particle states in rotating nuclei; band terminations and phase changes at high spins; classical rotations and the disappearance of static pairing; correlations in continuum radiation; the spectroscopy of proton rich nuclei at and near the N=Z line; fission-fragment spectroscopy; the measurement of sub-Coulomb reaction cross-sections and the associated input angular momentum. (author)