Rare isotope production near the neutron drip line

The underlying mechanism involved in the production of very neutron-rich nuclides using projectile fragmentation is studied with an abrasion-ablation (AA) model. The AA model suggests that very neutron-rich nuclides are produced by removing nearly all the required protons in the nonequilibrium abrasion stage, with minimal evaporation of neutrons in the ablation stage—“cold fragmentation.” Furthermore, the production of the most neutron-rich nuclei from a fixed projectile relies heavily on the neutron fluctuations in the ablation stage. The production of the nuclides closest to the neutron drip line using neutron-rich unstable beams is examined.