A detection system for energetic light heavy ions

Abstract

A light heavy ion detection system which consists of a gas-filled ionization chamber (IC) connected to a scattering chamber via a time-of-flight (TOF) system has been constructed. The entrance window of the IC has an area of 14 × 40 cm2, the active depth is 115 cm. Filled with CF4 at a pressure of 350 Torr, the energy range for 12C and 40Ar is 5–20 MeV/A and 6–30 MeV/A, respectively. The TOF system consists of two parallel plate avalanche counters with a flightpath of 70 cm in between. The IC has been tested with 12C ions at an energy of 39 MeV. The energy resolution of the IC (1.1%) is mainly determined by the energy straggling in the foils of the TOF system and the ionization chamber. The energy-loss resolution is 3.5%, the horizontal position resolution varies between 6 and 20 mm and the vertical position resolution is 2 mm. The time resolution of the TOF system ranges from 800 ps for 4He at 5.0 MeV, to 280 ps for 28Si at 55 MeV.