The SPIRAL project at GANIL. (SPIRAL-GANIL)

All atoms are composed with three types of building blocks (electrons, protons and neutrons) that interact with three fundamental forces (the electromagnetic force, the weak force and the strong force). This project aims at an in-depth understanding of the strong and the weak force which is, among  others, important for solving questions such as how and where the chemical elements have been made in the universe? Hidden secrets of the atomic nucleus are discovered by studying nuclei with an unusual number of protons and neutrons. Unfortunately, these nuclei are not available on earth as they  are radioactive and disappear fast.
Using the new accelerators of the SPIRAL project at GANIL, we have developed new methods to produce and study these radioactive atoms through laser spectroscopic techniques, decay studies and reaction studies. These complementary techniques contribute to fine tune our models and to uncover  new aspects of the strong and weak force. The SPIRAL project will deliver stable and radioactive isotope beams with intensities not available elsewhere.