Detection efficiency of time-of-flight energy elastic recoil detection analysis systems

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Vol. 149; no. 4; pp. 477 - 489
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yanwen, Whitlow, Harry J., Winzell, Thomas, Bubb, Ian F., Sajavaara, Timo, Arstila, Kai, Keinonen, Juhani
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.1999
• Subjects: Carbon foil time detectors; Detection efficiency; Secondary electrons; Stopping power; ToF-E ERD; Stopping power; Detection efficiency; 73.50.Bk; 41.75.-I; 34.50.Bw; ToF-E ERD; 34.80.Kw; Secondary electrons; Carbon foil time detectors
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-583X(98)00963-X

The detection efficiency of recoils with masses ranging from H up to Nb at energies from 0.05 to 1 MeV per nucleon has been investigated for Time-of-Flight Energy Elastic Recoil Detection (ToF-E ERD) systems. It is observed that the detection efficiency for the ToF-E detector telescope depends on the stopping power in the carbon foils, which in turn relies upon the recoil mass and energy. Furthermore, the limits of this behaviour depend on the setting of the discriminator thresholds. The detection efficiency of a time detector could be fitted to a universal curve that can be described by a simple empirical formula as a function of recoil electronic stopping power in the carbon foil. This formula can be used to predict the detection efficiency by recoil energy for N, O and other elements, for which it may not be easy to prepare suitable reference samples containing only that element.