The Holifield radioactive ion beams facility (HRIBF) - getting ready to do experiments

The conversion of the HHIRF facility to a radioactive ion beam facility started in 1994. In this ISOL type facility the cyclotron has been re-fitted as a driver providing high intensity proton beams which react with the target from which the radioactive products are extracted and then accelerated in the tandem electrostatic accelerator to the desired energy for nuclear science studies. Facilities for nuclear physics experiments are at different stages at development : a recoil mass spectrometer (RMS) with a complement of detectors at the focal plane and around the target is used primarily for nuclear structure studies. A large recoil separator combining velocity and momentum selection, with its complement of focal plane detectors, will be dedicated to measurements relevant to nuclear astrophysics. The enge split pole spectrograph is being re-fitted for operation in a gas filled mode, making it a more versatile tool for nuclear reaction studies. With the new experimental equipment being commissioned and the prospects of running experiments with low intensity radioactive beams a significant effort to develop equipment for beam diagnostics is underway. Some of our efforts and results in developing beam diagnostic tools will be described. (Author)