The Partial Truncated Icosahedron Phoswich Detector Array: A Light Charged Particle Array for Pionic Fusion Measurements

The Partial Truncated Icosahedron (ParTI) phoswich detector array has been designed to detect charged pions and other light charged particles in pionic fusion reactions. The array has been constructed and characterized in a series of beam experiments. It is composed of 15 plastic/thalium-doped cesium iodide (CsI(Tl)) phoswich detector units arranged on the faces of a truncated icosahedron geometry which covers approximately 20% of the solid angle. The phoswich detectors have been shown to be capable of isotopic identification of Z = 1 and Z = 2 particles and elemental identification of at least up to Z = 3 using fast vs. slow pulse shape discrimination (PSD). Some advantages of employing digital electronics are discussed including identification of charged pions independent of PSD using their characteristic waveform response and selective event triggering using a muon decay trigger. A calibration method for the array is also described.