Application of a thin double-sided microstrip detector for the registration of β-delayed charge particles: The 6He β decay into the two-body continuum of 6Li

We present a method for the detection of charged particles, emitted following β decay, that allows to reduce the background due to β radiation and thus to facilitate separation of the delayed-particle events. The isotopes of interest are implanted into a highly segmented double-sided silicon strip detector, resulting in excellent precision on the overall normalisation. The characteristics of the detector and the particle signatures are discussed. This method can be applied to a variety of systems close to the proton and neutron driplines; a region which the recent availability of post-accelerated radioactive beams has opened up for study. To demonstrate this, we measured the branching ratio of 6He β decay into the α+d two-body continuum of 6Li. We obtained a value of (1.7±0.4)×10-6 for energies α+d above 525 keV.