An Optical Readout TPC (O-TPC) for Studies in Nuclear Astrophysics With Gamma-Ray Beams at HIgS
2011
academicJournal
Zugriff:
We report on the construction, tests, calibrations and commissioning of an Optical Readout Time Projection Chamber (O-TPC) detector operating with a CO2(80%) + N2(20%) gas mixture at 100 and 150 Torr. It was designed to measure the cross sections of several key nuclear reactions involved in stellar evolution. In particular, a study of the rate of formation of oxygen and carbon during the process of helium burning will be performed by exposing the chamber gas to intense nearly mono-energetic gamma-ray beams at the High Intensity Gamma Source (HIgS) facility. The O-TPC has a sensitive target-drift volume of 30x30x21 cm^3. Ionization electrons drift towards a double parallel grid avalanche multiplier, yielding charge multiplication and light emission. Avalanche induced photons from N2 emission are collected, intensified and recorded with a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera, providing two-dimensional track images. The event's time projection (third coordinate) and the deposited energy are recorded by photomultipliers and by the TPC charge-signal, respectively. A dedicated VME-based data acquisition system and associated data analysis tools were developed to record and analyze these data. The O-TPC has been tested and calibrated with 3.183 MeV alpha-particles emitted by a 148Gd source placed within its volume with a measured energy resolution of 3.0%. Tracks of alpha and 12C particles from the dissociation of 16O and of three alpha-particles from the dissociation of 12C have been measured during initial in-beam test experiments performed at the HIgS facility at Duke University. The full detection system and its performance are described and the results of the preliminary in-beam test experiments are reported. ; Comment: Supported by the Richard F. Goodman Yale-Weizmann Exchange Program, ACWIS, NY, and USDOE grant Numbers: DE-FG02-94ER40870 and DE-FG02-97ER41033
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An Optical Readout TPC (O-TPC) for Studies in Nuclear Astrophysics With Gamma-Ray Beams at HIgS
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Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | Gai, M. ; Ahmed, M. W. ; Stave, S. C. ; Zimmerman, W. R. ; Breskin, A. ; Bromberger, B. ; Chechik, R. ; Dangendorf, V. ; Delbar, Th. ; France III, R. H. ; Henshaw, S. S. ; Kading, T. J. ; Martel, P. P. ; McDonald, J. E. R. ; Seo, P. N. ; Tittelmeier, K. ; Weller, H. R. ; Young, A. H. |
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Veröffentlichung: | 2011 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
DOI: | 10.1088/1748-0221/5/12/P12004 |
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