Hardware overview of the EUROGAM data acquisition system

• Published in: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 886 - 891
• Main Authors: Alexander, J., Beck, F.A., Ender, C., Lazarus, I., McPherson, G.M., Owen, E.C.G., Pouxe, J., Richard, A., Ring, C.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.08.1992; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: 430303 > Particle Accelerators > Experimental Facilities & Equipment; 990200 > Mathematics & Computers; ACCELERATORS; ASTRONOMY; Bismuth; Collaboration; COMPUTER CODES; Data acquisition; DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS; DATA PROCESSING; DETECTION; E CODES; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; ELECTROSTATIC ACCELERATORS; Exact sciences and technology; GAMMA ASTRONOMY; GAMMA DETECTION; Gamma ray detection; Gamma ray detectors; GE SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE; Germanium; Hardware; Instrumentation and Detectors; INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; Instruments; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; PERFORMANCE TESTING; Phase detection; Physics; PROCESSING; RADIATION DETECTION; RADIATION DETECTORS; SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS; SENSITIVITY; Sensor arrays; TESTING 440104 > Radiation Instrumentation > High Energy Physics Instrumentation; VAN DE GRAAFF ACCELERATORS; X- and γ-ray instruments and techniques; Radiation detector; Gamma radiation
• ISSN: 0018-9499; 1558-1578
• DOI: 10.1109/23.159726

EUROGAM is an Anglo/French gamma ray detector which will alternate between the tandem Van der Graaf accelerator at Daresbury and the Vivitron at Strasbourg. Because of the very sensitive nature of the electronics for germanium gamma ray detectors, VXIbus (VMEbus extensions for instrumentation) was chosen as the basis for data acquisition. The purpose of the EUROGAM collaboration is to jointly develop and instrument a transportable 4 pi gamma ray detector based upon an array of up to 70 high-purity germanium (Ge) detectors, each with an associated multielement bismuth germanate (BGO) escape suppression shield. Due to take data in early 1992 and to initially have 45 Ge detectors (phase 1), EUROGAM will spend one year at the SERC's Daresbury Laboratory taking beam from the 20 MV tandem Van der Graaf accelerator. The hardware configuration for the first phase of the EUROGAM data acquisition system is described.< >