The Recoil Distance Method (RDM) is a well-established technique for measuring lifetimes of electromagnetic transitions. Transition matrix elements derived from the lifetimes provide valuable insight into nuclear structure. Recent RDM investigations at NSCL present a powerful new model-independent tool for the spectroscopy of nuclei with extreme proton-to-neutron ratios that exhibit surprising behavior. Neutron-rich 18C is one such example, where a small B(E2; 2+1 &rarr 0+gs) represented a dramatic shift from the expected inverse relationship between the B(E2) and 2+1 excitation energy. To shed light on the nature of this quadrupole excitation, the RDM lifetime technique was applied with the Köln/NSCL plunger. States in 18C were populated by the one-proton knockout reaction of a 19N secondary beam. De-excitation gamma rays were detected with the Segmented Germanium Array in coincidence with reaction residues at the focal plane of the S800 Magnetic Spectrometer. The deduced B(E2) and excitation energy were both well described by ab initio no-core shell model calculations.In addition, a novel extension of RDM lifetime measurements via charged-particle spectroscopy of exotic proton emitters has been investigated. Substituting the reaction residue degrader of the Köln/NSCL plunger with a thin silicon detector permits the study of short-lived nuclei beyond the proton dripline. A proof of concept measurement of the mean lifetime of the two-proton emitter 19Mg was conducted. The results indicated a sub-picosecond lifetime, one order of magnitude smaller than the published results, and validate this new technique for lifetime measurements of charged-particle emitters.
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