A PARTICLE TELESCOPE SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR-REACTION IDENTIFICATION

A particle telescope system is described, consisting of a thin (28 mu m) dE/dx and a thick (300 mu m) E silicon detector operating in coinci dence mode, with relatively high solid angle of acceptance and very lo w background characteristics. This apparatus is capable of determining both the energy and identity of incident charged particle species and therefore of identifying nuclear processes. Additional advantages of this system are that it is capable of operating in corrosive environme nts and of reducing the charged particle background to as low as one c ount per week. The system calibration was carried out for MeV energy p rotons, He-4 and beta particles. Nuclear reactions were produced throu gh high energy (190 keV) deuterium ion implantation of metallic foils and thin films. The particle telescope system was employed to measure the energy and determine the species of charged particles produced by nuclear reactions occurring within the films and foils.