Mini-phoswich and SiPM for Heavy Ion Detection

TL;DR

This paper explores using a mini-phoswich detector with SiPMs for heavy ion detection around Z~10, aiming for high resolution and radiation hardness suitable for the NUMEN project.

Contribution

It demonstrates the feasibility of a scintillator-based detector with SiPM readout for high-fluency heavy ion detection in nuclear physics experiments.

Findings

Successful detection of ions with Z~10 using the proposed scintillator array.

Achieved energy resolution around 2%.

Showed promising radiation hardness and granularity.

Abstract

The possibility to use a mini-phoswich detector to identify ions in the region of Z ~ 10 is explored in the framework of the NUMEN project. The NUMEN program, aimed at the investigation of the nuclear matrix elements connected to the neutrinoless double beta decay by means of double charge exchange nuclear reactions, foresees very high fluencies, which prevent the use of standard silicon as stop detectors. The need of reasonable radiation hardness, together with a total energy resolution around 2% and a high granularity, makes scintillators possible candidates. Promising results are obtained using an array of plastic + inorganic phoswich scintillators readout by means of Silicon Photo Multipliers.