A high speed digital data acquisition system for the Indian National Gamma Array at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

A digital data acquisition system for the Compton suppressed clover detector array has been implemented at the TIFR-BARC accelerator facility for the high resolution gamma ray spectroscopy using the Pixie-16 Digital Gamma Finder modules by XIA LLC. This system has a provision for simultaneous digitization of 96 preamplifier signals of high purity germanium crystals. The energy and timing characteristics of the clover detectors have been investigated in detail. In-beam data has been collected both in singles and in the coincidence mode. The system has been tested with 64 channels with each of the 64 crystals having an event rate up to 5 kHz and 2-fold clover coincidence rate up to 15 kHz. The use of the digital data acquisition system has improved the high counting rate handling capabilities for the clover array. Conventional systems with analog shaping are being replaced by digital system that provides higher throughput, better energy resolution and better stability for the multi-detector Compton suppressed clover array.