Modular Neutron Array: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:41, 12 June 2008

Revision as of 03:43, 12 June 2008

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== The MoNA Detector Array (MoNA)==

The Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) is a large-area, high efficiency neutron detector designed for detecting neutrons stemming from breakup reactions of fast fragmentation beams. It is located at [http://www.msu.edu Michigan State University's] [http://www.nscl.msu.edu National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory] and has a [http://www.cord.edu/dept/physics/mona/overview_collaboration.html homepage]. In its standard configuration, MoNA has an active area of 2.0 m wide by 1.6 m tall. It measures both the position and time of neutron events with multiple-hit capability. The energy of a neutron is based on a time-of-flight measurement. This information together with the detected position of the neutron is used to construct the momentum vector of the neutrons <ref>B. Luther et al., Nucl. Instr. And Methods A505, 33 (2003)</ref><ref>T. Baumann et al., Nucl. Instr. And Methods A543, 517 (2005)</ref>.<br /><br />

The detection efficiency of MoNA is maximized for the high-beam velocities that are available at the [http://www.nscl.msu.edu NSCL's] Coupled Cyclotron Facility. For neutrons ranging from 50 to 250 MeV in energy, it is designed to have an efficiency of up to 70% and expands the possible coincidence experiments with neutrons to measurements which were previously not feasible. The detector is used in combination with the Sweeper magnet <ref>V. Zelevinsky and A. Volya, AIP Conf. Proc. 819, 493 (2006)</ref><ref>S. Prestemon et al., IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 11, 1721 (2001)</ref><ref>J. Toth et al., IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 12, 341 (2002)</ref><ref>M. B. Bird et al., IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 14, 564 (2004)</ref><ref>M. B. Bird et al., IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 15, 1252 (2005) and its focal plane detectors for charged particles <ref>N. Frank, Ph.D. Thesis, MSU, unpublished (2006)</ref>. In addition, MoNA’s modular design allows it to be transported between experimental vaults and thus to be used in combination with the Sweeper magnet installed at the S800 magnet spectrograph <ref>D. Bazin et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 204, 629 (2003)</ref>. Due to its high-energy detection efficiency, this detector will be well suited for experiments with fast fragmentation beams at the proposed ISF.

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== The MoNA Collaboration ==

The MoNA project is a collaboration between ten colleges and universities that originally constructed the highly efficient large-area neutron detector for the detection of high-energy neutrons to be used in experiments with fast rare isotopes at the [http://www.nscl.msu.edu National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory]. The project is funded by the [http://www.nsf.gov National Science Foundation].<br /><br />

The members of the collaboration are<br />

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[http://www.westmont.edu Westmont College] (Warren F. Rogers)<br />

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The Collaboration is committed to involving undergraduates in significant parts of the experiemntal program at the MoNA facility. Most of the Collaboration member institutions are primarily undergradateundergraduate schools. Undergraduates helped construct and test MoNA. They continue to participate in experiments during runs and through data analysis.

== The Role of Undergraduate students ==