Hybrid Recoil mass Analyzer (HYRA) at IUAC, New Delhi: the path traveled so far and the way ahead

The kinematic focusing effect of heavy ion induced fusion reactions result in the evaporation residues (ERs) to be forward focused and to move within a cone axial with the direction of primary beam. The selection of ERs amidst the large beam background requires carefully designed, large electromagnetic separators. While a vacuum mode mass spectrometer helps in mass (or mass/charge) dispersion of selected ions and an excellent primary beam rejection at the focal plane, it suffers reduction in transmission efficiency due to the selection of one to few charge states at a time. However, a gas-filled magnetic separator offers increased transmission efficiency due to velocity and charge state focusing effects and an excellent primary beam rejection, both at the cost of mass (or mass/charge) dispersion. Most of the current search for Super Heavy Nuclei in various laboratories use 'hot fusion' reactions and gas-filled separators. Hybrid Recoil mass Analyzer (HYRA) is a unique combination of both these virtues with the first stage capable of operation in gas-filled mode and both the stages together operable in vacuum mode to obtain mass resolution, along with excellent primary beam rejection in both modes of operation