Spectroscopy of $^{12}$Be using the ($^{7}$Li, $^{7}$Be) reaction in inverse kinematics

Charge-exchange reactions have been used extensively in forward kinematics to probe the spin-isospin response of stable nuclei. By exploiting a simple proportionality between the differential cross section and Gamow-Teller strength (B(GT)), one can extract detailed structure information in a model-independent way. This information provides stringent tests of theoretical models. The charge-exchange group at NSCL has developed a technique to expand these tests to exotic nuclei, using the ($^{7}$Li, $^{7}$Be) reaction in inverse kinematics. The $^{12}$B($^{7}$Li, $^{7}$Be) reaction has been employed to study the structure of $^{12}$Be, to elucidate the breakdown of the N=8 shell closure and demonstrate the merit of this new experimental technique. Experimental details and preliminary results are presented.