Neutron capture measurements at a RIA-type facility

Abstract Neutron capture cross-sections of unstable isotopes are important for neutron-induced nucleosynthesis as well as for technological applications. The Rare Isotope Accelerator or comparable facilities will be able to produce radioactive ion beams up to 10 12 particles/s and would therefore be a suitable place for (n,γ) studies on radioactive isotopes with half-lives between days and months. We propose a facility for measurements of (n,γ) cross-sections of unstable isotopes in the keV range suited for minimal sample masses down to 10 15 atoms, corresponding to minimum half-lives of only 10 d .