DAEMON - Detector Array for Energy Measurement Of Neutrons

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Measurements of spectrum of neutrons following beta-decay provides information for both nuclear structure, has impacts on calculations for the abundance of heavy elements in the Universe, and also for practical applications such as reactor fuel cycles. Measurement of the energies of fast neutrons are typically performed by measuring their time of flight. Such measurements, however, pose significant challenges, and there is always a balance between detection efficiency, which would be optimized through the use of thick detectors, and energy resolution, optimized through the use of thin detectors. We propose to construct an array of plastic scintillators, the Detector Array for Energy Measurement Of Neutrons (DAEMON), to be used in conjunction with the GRIFFIN gamma-ray spectrometer at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility to enable high-resolution measurements of the neutrons following beta-decay of neutron-rich species. This scintillator array will be composed of plastic bars that, in their initial configuration, will be shaped to fit within the DESCANT neutron detector - a semi-spherical shell of detectors that occupy approximately 25% of the solid angle. The scintillation light produced from the neutron interactions in the plastic will be detected with Si photomultiplier arrays that will be read out via commercially available application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The new array will provide a capability that does not currently exist at the TRIUMF-ISAC facility enabling high-resolution energy measurements of the neutrons via time of flight, while simultaneously, with DESCANT, providing a high efficiency device for tagging on the neutrons, coupled with the powerful GRIFFIN spectrometer that provides unsurpassed gamma-ray detection efficiency. This will open new avenues of research at TRIUMF-ISAC and will provide a strong enhancement of the research program performed by the broader Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy collaboration. We further envision strong international collaborations to be developed as a result of this new capability.