Defining the limits of existence of nuclear structure is one of fundamental problems of natural science. This requires to advance the studies towards the sites of maximum neutron- and proton-excess nuclei, to the nuclear stability borders, and further, to the nuclear-instability regions. In such regions the nuclear systems exist only as resonant states in continuous spectra with a characteristic "nuclear" lifetimes. Most effectively this work is done with the experimental setups providing radioactive ion beams (RIBs). This review discusses the approaches in this field of research developed during the last 20 years at the fragment-separator ACCULINNA at Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (FLNR) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The developed methodology is based on the comprehensive study of correlations among the fragments emitted in the decays of nuclear-unstable systems which are populated in direct reactions induced by the RIBs with intermediate (20—60 MeV/amu) energies. It allows one to acquire detailed knowledge about exotic nuclear systems close to and beyond the nuclear driplines. We discuss exotic types of nuclear dynamics appearing in vicinity of nuclear driplines and relevant results of their theoretical analysis. Discussed are the existing facilities and prospective projects aimed at the nuclear-structure studies with RIBs at JINR.

Keywords: radioactive beam, dripline, neutron- and proton-rich nuclei, direct reactions, heavy-ion cyclotron, fragment-separator, cryogenic target, correlation measurements, astrophysics, few-body system, hyperspherical harmonics, two proton radioactivity, democratic decays, resonance states PACS: 21.45.−v, 21.60.Gx, 23.50.+g (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.0186.201604a.0337 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2016/4/a/ 000379763700001 2-s2.0-84978484370 2016PhyU...59..321G Citation: Grigorenko L V, Golovkov M S, Krupko S A, Sidorchuk S I, Ter-Akopian G M, Fomichev A S, Chudoba V "Studies of light exotic nuclei in vicinity of neutron and proton drip-lines at FLNR JINR" Phys. Usp. 59 321–366 (2016) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 10th, October 2015, revised: 4th, December 2015, accepted: 7th, December 2015 Оригинал: Григоренко Л В, Головков М С, Крупко С А, Сидорчук С И, Тер-Акопьян Г М, Фомичёв А С, Худоба В «Исследования лёгких экзотических ядер вблизи границы стабильности в Лаборатории ядерных реакций ОИЯИ» УФН 186 337–386 (2016); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0186.201604a.0337