Progress in RIBRAS radioactive ion beams in Brasil project

Nuclear physics has been going through a major evolution over the last decade. The realization that one can investigate nuclei at extreme conditions such as high density, temperature, and angular momentum using several sophisticated experimental innovations opened up the possibility of extending this activity to the study of these systems when more neutrons or more protons are added. The so called exotic nuclei constitute a major research activity in Japan, France, USA, Canada, Germany and other countries. More laboratories are going through the process of re-direction of their experimental effort towards this activity. The nuclear physics community in Brasil has enthusiastically decided to join this endeavor to provide the Pelletron/LINAC complex with two superconducting solenoids which will permit the production of secondary beams of radioactive nuclei. A description of this facility and project RIBRAS follows.