Radioactive beam facilities: European perspectives

During the last ten years, the cooperation in Nuclear Physics between the different European countries has significantly increased, in particular through extensive discussions initiated by NuPECC, the Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee. In this context, perspectives in physics with radioactive beams have been reviewed and a high priority has been given to the developments of performing facilities in Europe including both in-flight and ISOL facilities. In this presentation, the main challenges are recalled and the various existing national and transnational projects are reviewed as well as the accompanying research and development programs. A special attention is given to the EURISOL project, a European program aiming at a preliminary design study of a second-generation European ISOL radioactive beam facility. Received: 1 May 2001 / Accepted: 4 December 2001