The Texas–Edinburgh–Catania Silicon Array (TECSA): A detector for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure studies with rare isotope beams

We present the details of the construction and commissioning of the Texas–Edinburgh–Catania Silicon Array (TECSA). TECSA is composed of up to 16 Micron Semiconductor Ltd. type-YY1 silicon strip detectors and associated electronics, which is designed for use in studies of nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure with rare isotope beams. TECSA was assembled at the Texas A&M University Cyclotron Institute and will be housed there for the next few years. The array was commissioned in a recent experiment where the d(14C,p)15C reaction at 11.7 MeV/u was measured in inverse kinematics. The results of the measurement and a discussion of the future use of this array are presented.