A charged particle detector array for detection of light charged particles from nuclear reactions

A 4π charged particle detector array (CPDA), for detecting low-Z charged particles from nuclear reactions, was built to improve selection of fusion evaporation channels for in-beam gamma spectroscopy measurements at Inter University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi. The array consists of fourteen fast-slow plastic phoswich detectors coupled to photomultiplier tubes through indigenously developed optical light guides. This paper describes design of optical light guide, target chamber, front-end electronics and presents in-beam performance of the array. Custom made analogue electronic device enables online selection of nuclear reaction channel. The charged particle detection efficiency and improvement in peak to background ratio obtained using CPDA in conjunction with a gamma-detector array demonstrates its usefulness in selection of specific nuclear reaction channel. This array has been used in a number of nuclear spectroscopic and reaction investigations.