The (p, n) charge-exchange reaction in inverse kinematics as a probe for isovector giant resonances in exotic nuclei

"Charge-exchange experiments at intermediate (223C100 MeV/u) beam energies have long been a tool to study isovector giant resonances in nuclei. Since the 1970s, many probes and techniques have been developed to study and isolate different isovector giant resonances, which have illuminated the spin-isospin response of nuclei. However, these experiments have almost solely been restricted to stable nuclei. The advent of rare-isotope beam facilities has created increased interest in studying these resonances in radioactive nuclei. Such experiments are important for better constraining models that aim to describe the properties of nuclei and nuclear matter, with important applications in astro and neutrino physics. To take advantage of these rare-isotope facilities, new techniques in inverse kinematics need to be developed and validated. This thesis presents a new technique for studying isovector giant resonances on unstable nuclei in the delta-Tz = -1 direction, through the (p,n) reaction in inverse kinematics. The technique was validated through the measurement of the absolute differential cross section in the neutron-rich 16C(p,n)16N* reaction at 100 MeV/u up to 223C20 MeV of excitation energy. From the data, the Gamow-Teller (GT) strength distribution [B(GT)] and the spin-dipole (SD) differential cross section were extracted. The extracted B(GT) was compared with shell-model calculations in order to test their reliability in the neutron-rich, high-excitation energy regime. A total GT strength up to 20 MeV was extracted and compared to the model-independent sum rule, giving a quenching factor of 73.5 ±2.8(st) ± 15.5(sys)%. This experiment provided one of the first measurements of isovector strength in a neutron-rich nucleus and has paved the way for future exploration of isovector giant resonances in exotic nuclei."--Pages ii-iii.