RUI: Development of a Position Resolving High Count Rate Detector System for Low Energy Nuclear Physics

University Of North Florida, Jacksonville FL

Investigators

Abstract

A heavy-ion tracking system is being developed by the University of North Florida to support nuclear astrophysics research at the Superconducting Accelerator Laboratory of the Florida State University (FSU). The tracking system consists of two identical ion detectors and is modeled after a focal plane detector system implemented at the Fragment Mass Analyzer of the Argonne National Laboratory. In each detector, a thin plastic foil emits delta electrons when a heavy ion passes through it. The delta electrons are accelerated away from the foil toward an electron "mirror" which reflects the electrons toward a stack of micro channel-plate electron multipliers. The detector system will provide position and direction information on heavy ions incident at rates up to approximately one million per second. The system will be used to track ion species generated by the exotic(radioactive) beam facility, RESOLUT, at FSU. The initial goal of the RESOLUT research program is to study nuclear reactions that are important in models of stellar nova explosions. Undergraduate students will participate in all aspects of this project.