Measurements of F-17 scattering by Pb-208 with a new type of large solid angle detector array

A new pixel-structure detector array with a large solid angle coverage has been used for the first time to study the elastic scattering of exotic F-17 nuclei from a Pb-208 target at 90.4 MeV. The experimental data have been analyzed in the framework of the optical model potential and the real and imaginary strong absorption radii have been evaluated. These quantities have been compared with those obtained for the system F-19+Pb-208 at the same energy in the center of mass frame. The F-17+Pb-208 reaction cross section is more similar to those of the systems O-16,O-17+Pb-208 rather than to the one of the system F-19+Pb-208 at similar energies: this indicates that in the energy range around the Coulomb barrier the breakup channel is still weak. The exclusive breakup cross section F-17-->O-16+p has been measured for the first time at energy below the Coulomb barrier.