Developing new experimental techniques to investigate the co-linear cluster tri-partitioning
Date
2022-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Computational simulations were developed to calculate data collection efficiency, as well as data
accuracy for existing experimental setups used in the study of the exotic ternary decay of low
excited heavy nuclei known as Co-linear Cluster Tri- partitioning (CCT) [1]. The most populated
CCT mode containing the so called “Ni-bump”. This bump is centered at the masses associated with
the magic isotopes of Ni (which include ⁶⁸Ni and ⁷²Ni). The results from these simulations give new
insight into the identification capability of heavy ions using current experimental equipment and
hint at some possible solutions to increase data collection efficiency and data accuracy.
As a charged particle interacts with the material of a semiconductor detector and deposits energy
into it, it creates high conductivity plasma along the trajectory of the particle. This disrupts
the internal electric field of the detector for some time which retards data collection. This
effect is known as Plasma Delay (PD). Development of a new algorithm and subsequent computational
implementation of this algorithm -Paraspline algorithm-, with the goal of more accurate
time-of-flight (TOF) calculations, by correcting for the PD effect in semiconductor detectors.
Testing of this algorithm show promising results, potentially improving the reliability
of future experimental results.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.
Description
Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Computational simulations, Data collection efficiency, Data accuracy, Nuclear physics -- History, Nuclear fusion -- Data processing, Collinear cluster tripartition (CCT), UCTD