CHICO, a heavy ion detector for Gammasphere

A 4π position-sensitive heavy-ion detector system, CHICO, has been developed primarily for use in conjunction with the 4π γ-ray facility, Gammasphere. The CHICO detector comprises an array of 20 Parallel Plate Avalanche Counters (PPACs) covering 12°<θ<85° and 95°<θ<168° and 280° in φ. The PPACs have segmented delay-line cathode boards, measuring the polar scattering angle θ to 1°, and segmented anodes, measuring the azimuthal angle φ with 9° resolution, while measuring the time-of-flight difference with 500 ps resolution. For binary reactions the kinematics can be reconstructed from the measured information, allowing identification of the target- and projectile-like nuclei with a mass resolution of Δm/m≈5%. The measured masses, recoil velocities, and recoil angles allow correction for Doppler shift and assignment of individual γ-rays to decay of the correct reaction product. This paper describes the design, operation and performance of the CHICO detector. The powerful combination of CHICO plus Gammasphere provides new research opportunities for the study of nuclear structure and reactions.