The last decades brought impressive progress in synthesizing and studying properties of nuclides located very far from the beta stability line. Among the most fundamental properties of such exotic nuclides, the ones usually established first are the half-life, possible radioactive decay modes, and their relative probabilities. When approaching limits of nuclear stability, new decay modes set in. First, beta decays are accompanied by emission of nucleons from highly excited states of daughter nuclei. Second, when the nucleon separation energy becomes negative, nucleons start being emitted from the ground state. A review of the decay modes occurring close to the limits of stability is presented. The experimental methods used to produce, identify, and detect new species and their radiation are discussed. The current theoretical understanding of these decay processes is reviewed. The theoretical description of the most recently discovered and most complex radioactive process---the two-proton radioactivity---is discussed in more detail.

Radioactive decays at limits of nuclear stability

We present a new concept for c-ray detector arrays. An example, called GRETA (Gamma-Ray Energy Tracking Array), consists of highly segmented HPGe detectors covering 4p solid angle. The new feature is the ability to track the scattering sequence of incident c-rays and in every event, this potentially allows one to measure with high resolution the energy deposited, the location (incident angle) and the time of each c-ray that hits the array. GRETA will be of order of 1000 times more powerful than the best present arrays, such as Gammasphere or Euroball, and will provide access to new physics. ( 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

/pdf/greta-utilizing-new-concepts-in-g-ray-detection-4he44q0lto.pdf

GRETA: utilizing new concepts in γ-ray detection

Measured- and simulated-pulse shapes in electrically segmented coaxial Ge detectors have been investigated. Three-dimensional position sensitivities have been determined experimentally and theoretically in a 36-fold segmented Ge detector. By using the two-dimensional segmentation in conjunction with pulse-shape analysis, a position sensitivity of better than 1 mm can be obtained in three dimensions at an energy of 374 keV. This is achieved by analyzing the shape of net charge signals of segments containing interactions and of transient image charge signals of neighboring segments. The ability to locate interactions in three-dimensions is one of the crucial properties in the proposed γ-ray energy tracking array (GRETA). The concept of γ-ray tracking will not only increase the efficiency in detecting γ radiation but also enables the localization and characterization of unknown γ-ray sources with much higher accuracy than is possible with current instruments.

/pdf/three-dimensional-position-sensitivity-in-two-dimensionally-1dla7lq9sj.pdf

Three-dimensional position sensitivity in two-dimensionally segmented HP-Ge detectors

Data acquisition systems for nuclear spectroscopy have traditionally been based on hybrid systems with analog shaping amplifiers followed by analog-to-digital converters. Recently, however, new systems based on digital signal processing concepts have been developed. For example, one specific design, the Digital Gamma Finder (DGF-4C), has been used extensively for particle- and gamma-spectroscopy of nuclei far from stability. Using the DGF-4C, a variety of data acquisition systems have been implemented and used for measurements with semiconductor and scintillator detectors at recoil separators like the RMS at ORNL, the FRS at GSI and LISE at GANIL. Some novel features and unique advantages, such as trigger-less operation and pulse shape recording, are discussed in the context of selected studies.

Applications of digital pulse processing in nuclear spectroscopy

IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record

This paper describes a 4-channel data acquisition module designed for use with multi-electrode semiconductor detectors of X-ray and γ-rays. It combines high-speed waveform sampling with digital filtering to acquire accurate energy spectra at high rates and, at the same time, capture and store precisely measured waveforms.

Bradley Hubbard-Nelson

Papers

A module for energy and pulse shape data acquisition