In-beam $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy at the RIBF: recent results and future prospects

With the commissioning of the BigRIPS projectile fragment separator and the ZeroDegree spectrometer at the Radioactive Ion Beam Factory (RIBF) at the RIKEN Nishina Center a new window to study nuclei far from stability has been opened. Various experimental methods can now be applied to exploit the intense and high-energy primary and secondary beams at the RIBF. In a first set of experiments in-beam $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy has proved to be a very promising tool to study exotic nuclei far from stability. The so-called DayOne experimental campaign was carried out at the RIBF in November and December 2008, which comprises a set of experiments using the same primary beam $^{48}$Ca at 345 MeV/$u$ and similar, or at least non-interfering, experimental setups. During this campaign the first spectroscopic study of the N=22 nucleus $^{32}$Ne was carried out. A single $\gamma$-ray transition with an energy of 722(9) keV was observed in both inelastic scattering of a 226 MeV/$u$ $^{32}$Ne beam on a Carbon target and proton removal from $^{33}$Na at 245 MeV/$u$, which is assigned to the de-excitation of the first $J^\pi$ = $2^+$ state in ${32}$Ne to the $0^+$ ground state. The low excitation energy and a comparison to state of the art shell model calculations demonstrate that the Island of Inversion extends to at least N=22 for the Ne isotopes. I will give a short overview of the existing facilities and then focus on the first experimental campaign carried out with BigRIPS and ZeroDegree. The experimental setup used for in-beam $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy will be introduced followed by a presentation of first results. An outlook will be given.