First results and planned experiments with the INFN-LNS ray-tracing magnetic spectrometer MAGNEX

The MAGNEX large-acceptance ray-tracing magnetic spectrometer has recently been used with beams from the INFN-LNS Tandem accelerator. After an accurate commissioning, the instrument has started an ambitious experimental program. In the first experiment the 19F(7Li,7Be)19O charge-exchange reaction was studied at 52 MeV incident energy. The 19O excitation energy spectrum was reconstructed and the angular distributions measured. The second experiment was aimed at the study of the 15C via the 13C(18O,16O)15C reaction at 84 MeV incident energy. The ejectiles where detected at forward angles and mass identified by means of an innovative technique. The 15C excitation energy spectra up to about 20 MeV were obtained with a 250 keV FWHM energy resolution. In addition to several known states, the spectra show two unknown resonant-like structures at 11.4 and 14.0 MeV. The strong population of these structures, together with the measured widths, could indicate the collective nature of these states associated to a correlated neutron pair transfer. Besides the first results of physical interest from these two experiments, future experiments with MAGNEX are briefly outlined.