A. Gopfert et al., A twin ionization chamber setup as detector for light charged particles with energies around 1 MeV applied to the B-10(n, alpha)Li-7 reaction, NUCL INST A, 441(3), 2000, pp. 438-451
The setup and operating conditions of a gridded twin ionization chamber wit
h sample change facility to study light charged particle properties in the
1 MeV region is described. Detailed studies of different grid geometries in
connection with the choice of an eligible counting gas mixture and the app
lied high voltage have been performed. Due to the high overall amplificatio
n of the small electrical chamber signals obtained from such low-energy par
ticles, special filters have been developed in order to increase the signal
-to-noise ratio. Timing properties of the chamber signals are discussed in
detail. Information available from chamber signals and encoding methods are
elucidated by spectra of alpha particles created by U-234,U-235 spontaneou
s alpha decay. The detector permits the independent and simultaneous measur
ement of energy and angular distribution of particles in both sides of the
chamber. Finally, preliminary results and related analysis methods will be
presented for the investigation of the B-10(n, alpha(0))/B-10(n, alpha(1)y)
branching ratios. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.