A Technical Proposal for the Design, Construction, Commissioning and Operation of an Antiproton Ion Collider (AIC) was delivered to the GSI FAIR Project in 2006. We propose to use intermediate energy antiproton‐ion collisions to determine the neutron and proton root‐mean‐square (rms) radii of stable and neutron‐rich exotic nuclei by measuring the antiproton‐nucleus absorption cross sections along isotopic chains in inverse kinematics.

The kinematically forward emitted (A‐1) absorption products are completely identified so one can determine at the same time the cross section for the absorption on the neutrons and protons, respectively. The mass dependence of the absorption cross sections is found to follow closely the nuclear rms radii. The total absorption cross section is shown to be a superposition of cross sections describing partial absorption on neutrons and protons, respectively. Thus the measured differential cross sections for absorption on neutrons and protons will give information on their respective distributions.

Studies are continued on the optimization of the interaction zone as well as for the design of the in-ring detectors, for which SMI has the responsibility. In addition work started for a novel physics project, namely to bread anti-deuterons with the AIC.

Outlook

In 2009 the collaboration with our partners from BINP Novosibirsk has to be prolonged with the goal to finalize the design of the injector and collider section of AIC. Furthermore, a detailed study is planned to investigate the possible physics program with anti-deuterons