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== The MoNA Detector Array==
[[Image:mona_above.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The MoNA Array]]
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 original configuration, MoNA consisted of 9 vertical layers of 16 detectors each stacked in compact form, having an active area of 2.0 m wide by 1.6 m tall. In its current arrangement (depicted in the image to the right), it is stacked in four separate sections of 2, 2, 2, and 3 layers each, respectively, separated by spaces ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 meters. 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
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
== History ==
When the NSCL upgraded their capabilities to the Coupled Cyclotron Facility, an FSU/MSU consortium built the Sweeper magnet to be used with two existing neutron walls to perform neutron–fragment coincidence experiments. The neutron walls were originally built for lower beam energies and had only an efficiency of about 12% for the neutron energies expected from the CCF. During the 2000 NSCL users meeting a working group realized the opportunity to significantly enhance the efficiency with an array of more layers using plastic scintillator detectors.<br /><br />
Several NSCL users from undergraduate schools were present at the working group meeting and they suggested that the modular nature and simple construction would offer great opportunities to involve undergraduate students.<br /><br />
In the spring of 2001 the idea evolved into several MRI proposals submitted by 10 different institutions, most of them undergraduate schools. The proposals were funded by the NSF in the summer of 2001. Following the detailed design, the first modules of the detector array were delivered in the summer of 2002. During the following year all modules were assembled and tested by undergraduate students at their school
The MoNA collaboration continued after the initial phase of construction and commissioning was concluded [MoNA], and is now using the detector array for experiments, giving a large number of undergraduate students from all collaborating schools the opportunity to take part in cutting-edge nuclear physics experiments at one of the world’s leading rare-isotope facilities. The research at the undergraduate institutions is funded by the NSF through several RUI grants (Research at Undergraduate Institutions).
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The members of the collaboration are<br />
<blockquote>
[http://www.
[http://www.
[http://www.fsu.edu Florida State University]<br />
[http://www.iusb.edu Indiana University South Bend]<br />
[http://www.marquette.edu Marquette University]<br />
[http://www.wabash.edu Wabash College]<br />
▲[http://www.cmu.edu Central Michigan University]<br />
[http://www.wmu.edu Western Michigan University]<br />
▲[http://www.cord.edu Concordia College at Moorhead]<br />
[http://www.westmont.edu Westmont College]<br />
</blockquote>
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