| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this research is to build, calibrate and test a parallel-plate avalanche counter (PPAC) detector, which can be used to detect low energy heavy ion particles. This detector will enable Texas A&M to conduct experiments using low energy heavy ions with the MDM magnetic spectrometer, which was not possible previously. It will be used primarily in experiments in nuclear astrophysics that utilize indirect methods such as the sub-Coulomb transfer reaction and the Trojan Horse method. The expected outcomes are that the detector can separate particles with equal magnetic rigidities, but different mass/charge ratios. It should be able to measure the time of flight for particles as they move from one end of the detector to the other. It should also be able to locate, with sufficient precision, the coordinates of the particle inside the detector so that the actual path which a particle takes can be found. | |
