The present and planned recoil mass spectrometers at Nuclear Science Centre, New Delhi

Recoil mass spectrometers (RMS) are ideal instruments for identifying weakly populated reaction products in the forward angle from heavy-ion reactions amidst an intense beam background. The Heavy Ion Reaction Analyzer (HIRA) at the Nuclear Science Centre (NSC), New Delhi, is one of the few operating first generation RMSs. The features of and physics studies pursued using HIRA are covered in the paper. With the augmentation of the accelerator facilities at NSC, a second generation RMS combined with a gas-filled separator is planned. The design details of the new facility, Hybrid Recoil Mass Analyzer (HYRA), are presented. HYRA will be operated either stand-alone or in conjunction with a Large Gamma Array (LGA) at its target position. Physics studies planned with these forthcoming facilities are outlined.