Experimental Facilities at iThemba LABS and Measurements to Constrain. . .
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particles from scattering or direct reactions at extreme forward angles, including
zero degrees. This makes it one of only two facilities worldwide, the other being
at RCNP Japan, with the capability of combining high-energy resolution with zero
degree measurements at medium beam energies.
Accurate scattering angle information is imperative to allow for the necessary
corrections of the first- and second-order dependence of the focal plane position on
the horizontal scattering angle at the K600 spectrometer. This capability is critical
and essential to exploit the high-resolution capabilities of the K600.
The K600 experimental program is increasingly dependent on the horizontal and
vertical drift chambers and one additional drift chamber will be manufactured to
provide the much needed redundancy for the focal plane detector setup. A new focal
plane is currently being designed to further allow for the detection of heavier ions
or lower excitation energies.
2.2 AFRODITE
AFRODITE (AFRican Omnipurpose Detector for Innovative Techniques and
Experiments) is a γ-ray detector array with the capability of detecting both highand low-energy photons with a reasonably high efficiency by combining Compton
Suppressed HPGe detectors (CLOVERS) with Low-Energy Photon Spectrometer
(LEPS) detectors. A range of ancillary detectors can be combined with AFRODITE,
such as silicon or CsI charged-particle detectors, recoil detectors, and fast neutron
detectors for time-of-flight discrimination for neutron reaction channels. The fasttiming array of eight 2” × 2” LaBr3:Ce detectors can also be added to AFRODITE.
The upgrade of the nine Compton suppressed Clover detector array, AFRODITE,
includes doubling the number of Clover detectors, which will provide the capability
to improve on high-resolution measurements with double the efficiency, and a
factor of ~4 increase in the doubles coincidence rate and a factor of ~10 for
triples coincidences. At the end of 2018, a total of 14 Compton suppressed Clover
detectors are available with four additional detectors expected to be available by
the end of 2019, with funding through the GAMKA consortium which consists of
five institutes: University of the Witwatersrand, University of the Western Cape,
University of Zululand, Stellenbosch University, and iThemba LABS.
In addition to the detectors, a nitrogen liquefier will be procured through the
GAMKA consortium to provide sufficient liquid nitrogen to operate the full array
throughout the year.
2.3 ALBA
ALBA (African LaBr 3 :Ce Array) with large-volume high-efficiency LaBr3:Ce
detectors will cover approximately ½ of a sphere and consist of a total of 23
317
particles from scattering or direct reactions at extreme forward angles, including
zero degrees. This makes it one of only two facilities worldwide, the other being
at RCNP Japan, with the capability of combining high-energy resolution with zero
degree measurements at medium beam energies.
Accurate scattering angle information is imperative to allow for the necessary
corrections of the first- and second-order dependence of the focal plane position on
the horizontal scattering angle at the K600 spectrometer. This capability is critical
and essential to exploit the high-resolution capabilities of the K600.
The K600 experimental program is increasingly dependent on the horizontal and
vertical drift chambers and one additional drift chamber will be manufactured to
provide the much needed redundancy for the focal plane detector setup. A new focal
plane is currently being designed to further allow for the detection of heavier ions
or lower excitation energies.
2.2 AFRODITE
AFRODITE (AFRican Omnipurpose Detector for Innovative Techniques and
Experiments) is a γ-ray detector array with the capability of detecting both highand low-energy photons with a reasonably high efficiency by combining Compton
Suppressed HPGe detectors (CLOVERS) with Low-Energy Photon Spectrometer
(LEPS) detectors. A range of ancillary detectors can be combined with AFRODITE,
such as silicon or CsI charged-particle detectors, recoil detectors, and fast neutron
detectors for time-of-flight discrimination for neutron reaction channels. The fasttiming array of eight 2” × 2” LaBr3:Ce detectors can also be added to AFRODITE.
The upgrade of the nine Compton suppressed Clover detector array, AFRODITE,
includes doubling the number of Clover detectors, which will provide the capability
to improve on high-resolution measurements with double the efficiency, and a
factor of ~4 increase in the doubles coincidence rate and a factor of ~10 for
triples coincidences. At the end of 2018, a total of 14 Compton suppressed Clover
detectors are available with four additional detectors expected to be available by
the end of 2019, with funding through the GAMKA consortium which consists of
five institutes: University of the Witwatersrand, University of the Western Cape,
University of Zululand, Stellenbosch University, and iThemba LABS.
In addition to the detectors, a nitrogen liquefier will be procured through the
GAMKA consortium to provide sufficient liquid nitrogen to operate the full array
throughout the year.
2.3 ALBA
ALBA (African LaBr 3 :Ce Array) with large-volume high-efficiency LaBr3:Ce
detectors will cover approximately ½ of a sphere and consist of a total of 23