Resonant coherent excitation of relativistic nuclei in aligned crystals: New experimental perspectives at FAIR

A short overview of the status of nuclear resonant coherent excitation (RCE) of relativistic nuclei in aligned crystals is presented. The planned GSI accelerator facility FAIR, which will provide intense relativistic heavy-ion beams, will offer new experimental perspectives to study nuclear RCE. Unique opportunities will arise from the availability of bare ions up to uranium with relativistic energies up to 30 GeV/u. Synchrotron accelerators, which allow for fine-tuning of the extraction energy, provide ideal conditions for nuclear RCE experiments. Calculations of electromagnetic excitation cross-sections of projectile nuclei in relativistic collisions with individual target atoms are presented, estimates of the nuclear RCE probability in a crystal, a list of candidate nuclei for nuclear RCE experiments, as well as possible experimental schemes at FAIR.