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The dipole response of stable and unstable neutron-rich oxygen nuclei of masses A = 17 to A = 22 has been investigated experimentally utilizing electromagnetic excitation in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies about 600 MeV/nucleon. A kinematically complete measurement of the neutron decay channel in inelastic scattering of the secondary beam projectiles from a Pb target was performed. Differential electromagnetic excitation cross sections d sigma/dE were derived up to 30 MeV excitation energy. In contrast to stable nuclei, the deduced dipole strength distribution appears to be strongly fragmented and systematically exhibits a considerable fraction of low-lying strength.

The excitation of the double-phonon giant dipole resonance was observed in heavy projectile nuclei impinging on targets of high nuclear charge with energies of 500-700 MeV/nucleon. New experimental data are presented for 136 Xe and 238 U together with further analysis of earlier data on 208 Pb. Differential cross sections d/dE* and d/d for electromagnetic excitations were deduced. Depending on the isotope, cross sections appear to be enhanced in comparison to those expected from a purely harmonic nuclear dipole response. The cumulative effect of excitations of two-phonon states composed of one dipole and one quadrupole phonon, of predicted anharmonicities in the double-phonon dipole response, and of damping of the dipole resonance during the collision may account for the discrepancy. In addition, decay properties of two-phonon resonances were studied and compared to that of a statistical decay.

Fragmentation of secondary beams of neutron-rich, unstable 19,20,21 O isotopes at beam energies near 600 MeV/nucleon was studied by measuring the production cross sections for carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen fragments. Data for stable 17,18 O beams were obtained as well. The measurements serve to illuminate the isospin dependence of the fragmentation process. The experimental results are compared to those from an empirical parameterization and to those from abrasion-ablation models.

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