Novel neutron detector assembly based on SiPM readout to be coupled with the Active Target for SPES

Abstract

The Active Target ATS (Active Target for SPES) is a new time-projection chamber designed for reaction and decay studies with nuclei far from stability. The physics cases for the new-generation active target are related to the ongoing developments of facilities for radioactive ion beams. Thanks to its flexibility, this instrument will be capable of taking advantage of the most exotic beams which will become available at the SPES facility under construction at the Legnaro National Laboratories in Italy. Particular attention will be also paid to couple it with ancillary detectors, for both charged and neutral (gamma and neutrons) particles. In particular, in this work, we will focus the attention on the neutron ancillary detectors. The proposed prototype is a compact device able to discriminate, by performing pulse shape analysis, between neutrons and gamma. The device take advantage of recent improvements in silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology and the development of new plastic scintillators exhibiting neutron/gamma discrimination capability. Our work is focused on the read-out with silicon photomultipliers arrays of EJ-276 (and its old version EJ-299) and EJ-276G scintillators of several sizes (ranging from 20 mm to 50 mm diameter). Moreover, we will show the comparison of discrimination performances between SiPM and standard photomultiplier read-out configurations.