Nuclear structure information derived from the study of heavy ion reactions using SSNTD [solid state nuclear track detectors]

The use of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors for the study of heavy ion reactions has opened a new vista for nuclear physics. The most interesting aspects of this method are its off-line nature and the possibility of exclusive measurements. Although the accuracies of measurements are limited, a reliable estimation of the kinematically relevant quantities can be made by using a statistically significant number of individual events observed directly. It is shown that nuclear structure information can also be extracted from the data. In particular the elastic scattering process and its analysis leading to nuclear size information is discussed. The measurement of the 'out-of-plane' angles of fission fragments and the derivation of pre-fission nuclear spins and excitation energies is also elucidated. (author)