Highly efficient charged particle veto detector CUP

Abstract

A novel, highly efficient, plastic scintillator detector has been constructed. The primary application of the detector is to act as a veto device in heavy-ion-induced fusion-evaporation reactions, in which the structure of proton-rich nuclides is investigated by γ -ray spectroscopy methods. The detector rejects events in which light charged particles, like protons and α particles, are emitted in the evaporation process, facilitating selection of reaction channels associated with emission of only neutrons. The detector was used in a EUROBALL experiment, with achieved efficiencies of 80% and 63% for protons and α particles, respectively. The design of the detector, its performance and limitations are discussed.