Recoil spectroscopy of metastable nuclei far from stability

The aim is to develop a novel recoil spectrometer and to exploit it for the characterization of metastable states in neutron-deficient nuclei. The initial focus will be on defining the structure of the lead nuclei where states arising from different shapes compete, so-called shape co-existence. In this region the sensitivity to the occupation of different proton and neutron orbits near the nuclear surface provides a powerful means of testing key ingredients of nuclear structure models. The spectrometer itself has exceptional transport efficiency, a unique sensitivity to relatively short- lived states and superior electron energy resolution and background suppression. Its commissioning will enhance our international research profile.