Current and future electron spectroscopy experiments in relativistic storage rings

Storage rings as the ESR and the future NESR in the FAIR project are unique tools to study the dynamics of electron-ion and ion-atom collisions in the realm of strong perturbations and short interaction times. A telling sign of the character of such collisions are the electrons emitted into the continuum. For high Z projectiles and low Z targets the projectile centred continuum is dominating. Precision studies of these electrons emitted in relativistic collisions thus are of paramount importance for an understanding of the ionization mechanisms active in transferring electrons into the continua. Forward electron spectroscopy thus appears to be the tool of choice. For high precision studies in collision spectroscopy of high Z projectiles we have implemented an imaging forward electron spectrometer into the ESR supersonic jet target zone. In combination with a reaction microscope to be implemented next this enables investigations of several fundamental processes ranging from kinematically complete studies of multiple ionization and (e, 2e) on ions to radiative and non-radiative electron transfer processes to the projectile continuum and for the first time kinematically complete measurements of the short-wavelength limit of the electron nucleus Bremsstrahlung. We report first results.