U. Spillmann

A broad-application microchannel-plate detector system for advanced particle or photon detection tasks: large area imaging, precise multi-hit timing information and high detection rate

New applications for single particle and photon detection in many fields require both large area imaging performance and precise time information on each detected particle. Moreover, a very high data acquisition rate is desirable for most applications and eventually the detection and imaging of more than one particle arriving within a microsecond is required. Commercial CCD systems lack the timing information whereas other electronic microchannel plate (MCP) read-out schemes usually suffer from a low acquisition rate and complicated and sometimes costly read-out electronics. We have designed and tested a complete imaging system consisting of an MCP position readout with helical wire delaylines, single-unit amplifier box and PC-controlled time-to-digital converter (TDC) readout. The system is very flexible and can detect and analyse position and timing information at single particle rates beyond 1 MHz. Alternatively, multihit events can be collected and analysed at about 20 kHz rate. We discuss the advantages and applications of this technique and then focus on the detector’s ability to detect and analyse multiple hits. r 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

High-resolution measurement of the time-modulated orbital electron capture and of the β+ decay of hydrogen-like 142Pm60+ ions

Abstract The periodic time modulations, found recently in the two-body orbital electron capture (EC) decay of both, hydrogen-like 140Pr58+ and 142Pm60+ ions, with periods near to 7 s and amplitudes of about 20%, were re-investigated for the case of 142Pm60+ by using a 245 MHz resonator cavity with a much improved sensitivity and time resolution. We observed that the exponential EC decay is modulated with a period T = 7.11 ( 11 ) s , in accordance with a modulation period T = 7.12 ( 11 ) s as obtained from simultaneous observations with a capacitive pick-up, employed also in the previous experiments. The modulation amplitudes amount to a R = 0.107 ( 24 ) and a P = 0.134 ( 27 ) for the 245 MHz resonator and the capacitive pick-up, respectively. These new results corroborate for both detectors exactly our previous findings of modulation periods near to 7 s , though with distinctly smaller amplitudes. Also the three-body β + decays have been analyzed. For a supposed modulation period near to 7 s we found an amplitude a = 0.027 ( 27 ) , compatible with a = 0 and in agreement with the preliminary result a = 0.030 ( 30 ) of our previous experiment. These observations could point at weak interaction as origin of the observed 7 s -modulation of the EC decay. Furthermore, the data suggest that interference terms occur in the two-body EC decay, although the neutrinos are not directly observed.

Probing nuclear properties by resonant atomic collisions between electrons and ions

The utilization of the resonant atomic electron–ion collision process of dielectronic recombination (DR) as a tool to probe nuclear properties via isotope shifts and hyperfine effects is discussed. Based on DR, this resonance reaction spectroscopy at electron coolers of heavy-ion storage rings denotes a versatile approach to access nuclear parameters such as charge radius, spin, magnetic moment or lifetimes of long-lived excited nuclear states (isomers). The high sensitivity of DR allows for experiments with artificially synthesized rare isotopes and isomers. Recent experimental progress in the preparation of such exotic species at the ESR storage ring in Darmstadt is presented. The DR technique is exemplified for the case of 234Pa88+ (Z = 91).

SPARC: The Stored Particle Atomic Research Collaboration At FAIR

The future international accelerator Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) encompasses 4 scientific pillars containing at this time 14 approved technical proposals worked out by more than 2000 scientists from all over the world. They offer a wide range of new and challenging opportunities for atomic physics research in the realm of highly‐charged heavy ions and exotic nuclei. As one of the backbones of the Atomic, Plasma Physics and Applications (APPA) pillar, the Stored Particle Atomic Physics Research Collaboration (SPARC) has organized tasks and activities in various working groups for which we will present a concise survey on their current status.

Isotope shifts in dielectronic recombination: From stable to in-flight-produced nuclei

The study of isotope shifts and hyperfine effects in dielectronic recombination (DR) resonance spectra strikes a conceptually new path for investigations of nuclear properties such as charge radius, spin, magnetic moment of nuclei or lifetimes of long-lived excited nuclear states. A series of DR experiments with heavy three-electron ions (Li-like) was performed at the heavy-ion storage ring ESR of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany. In a pilot experiment the two stable isotopes A=142 and A=150 of neodymium ANd57+ were investigated. From the displacement of DR resonances the isotope shifts δE142,150(2s – 2Pl/2) = 40.2(3)(6) meV and δE142,150(2s – 2p3/2) = 42.3(12)(20) meV for 2s – 2Pj transitions of the Li-like ions have been obtained. An evaluation within a full QED framework yielded a change in the mean-square charge radius of 142,150δ(r2) = −1.36(1)(3) fm2. At GSI, in addition to stable isotopes, in-flight synthesized radioisotopes can be studied as well. The production of radioisotopes of interest, the subsequent separation in the storage ring ESR and first DR experiments with the exotic nuclei 237U89+ and 234Pa88+ (Z=91) are presented. The paper is concluded with a brief outlook at future DR experiments with heavy radioisotopes at the ESR.

Performance of a position sensitive Si(Li) x-ray detector dedicated to Compton polarimetry of stored and trapped highly-charged ions

We report on a novel two-dimensional position sensitive Si(Li) detector dedicated to Compton polarimetry of x-ray radiation arising from highly-charged ions. The performance of the detector system was evaluated in ion-atom collision experiments at the ESR storage ringe at GSI, Darmstadt. Based on the data obtained, the polarimeter efficiency is estimated in this work.

Fast-position and time-sensitive readout of image intensifiers for single-photon detection

We present results on novel image intensifier tubes for single photon detection. We have adopted an image charge coupling technique that allows a read-out of image intensifiers with good imaging properties and much superior time resolution than obtainable with the standard phosphor screen read-out. Although combinations of sealed microchannel plate detector tubes with position and time sensitive anode structures have already been reported, our method has the advantage that the superficial electrode array has not be implemented inside the tube. We couple the image charge from a high-resistive anode layer through the vacuum housing to a wedge-and-strip or delay-line pattern that can be attached from outside. We show results on single photon imaging with special intensifiers produced by Proxitronic GmbH in the visible and UV for an active diameter of 25 mm. The variability of the system, especially a version with a solar-blind UV-cathode and 40 mm active diameter, should open great opportunities for detection task in various fields like astronomy, reconnaissance, bioluminescence, atomic physics, and material research, particularly when both good imaging and timing performance are required.

Beta decay of highly charged ions

Ion storage rings and ion traps provide the very first opportunity to address nuclear beta decay under conditions prevailing in hot stellar plasmas during nucleosynthesis, i.e. at high atomic charge states. Experiments are summarized that were performed in this field during the last decade at the ion storage-cooler ring ESR in Darmstadt. Special emphasis is given to the first observation of bound-state beta decay, where the created electron remains bound in an inner orbital of the daughter atom. The impact of this specific ‘stellar’ decay mode for s-process nucleosynthesis as well as for nuclear ‘eon clocks’ is outlined. Finally, a new technique, single-ion decay spectroscopy, is presented, where one observes two-body beta decay characteristics (i.e. orbital electron capture or bound-state beta decay) of highly charged, single ions for well-defined nuclear and atomic quantum states of both the mother – and the daughter – ion.

Observation of the 2p3/2→2s1/2 intra-shell transition in He-like uranium

We present the first observation of the 1s2p 3P2→1s2s 3S1 transition in He-like uranium. The experiment was performed at the internal gas-jet target of the ESR storage ring at GSI exploiting a Bragg crystal spectrometer and a germanium solid-state detector. Using the 1s22p 2P3/2→1s22s 2S1/2 transition in Li-like uranium as reference and the deceleration capabilities of the ESR storage ring, we obtained the first evaluation of the energy of an intra-shell transition for a He-like heavy ion.

Position and time sensitive photon counting detector with image charge delay-line readout

We have developed single photon counting image intensifier tubes combining position and time information read-out with at least 500x500 pixels and sub-nanosecond time resolution. This image intensifier type uses a resistive screen instead of a phosphor screen and the image charge pickup anode is placed outside the sealed tube. We present a novel delay-line anode design which allows for instance detecting simultaneously arriving pairs of photons. Due to the very low background this technique is suited for applications with very low light intensity and especially if a precise time tagging for each photon is required. We show results obtained with several anode types on a 25 mm image intensifier tube and a 40 mm open-face MCP detector and discuss the performance in neutron radiography, e.g. for homeland security, and the prospects for applications like Fluorescence Life-time Imaging Microscopy (FLIM), astronomy and X-ray polarimetry.