The GSI projectile fragment separator (FRS): A Versatile magnetic system for relativistic heavy ions

Abstract The projectile fragment separator FRS designed for research and applied studies with relativistic heavy ions was installed at GSI as a part of the new high-energy SIS/ESR accelerator facility. This high-resolution forward spectrometer has been successfully used in first atomic and nuclear physics experiments using neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and gold beams in the energy range from 500 to 2000 MeV/u. For the first time relativistic xenon and gold fragments have been isotopically separated. In this contribution we describe first experiments characterizing the performance of this spectrometer.