Separating Signal from Noise for (d,n) Reactions using NEXT *

The (d,n) proton-transfer-reaction can be used with both stable and radioactive ion beams to inform on nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. The Neutron dEtector with multi neutron (Xn) Tracking (NEXT) is a high-efficiency neutron time-of-flight detector array with neutron-gamma discrimination. The Hybrid Array of Gamma Ray Detector (HAGRiD) modules were also used in this experiment to measure the gamma-ray energies. A recent commissioning run to measure the previously known ²⁰Ne(d,n) reaction was performed in inverse kinematics at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) using the ReAccelerated (ReA6) facility that provided a stable ²⁰Ne beam at 10 MeV/u. 

 

Methods will be presented for separating the reaction and beam-induced neutrons and gamma rays from within the C₂D₄reaction target and from the beam-stop. Using the geometry of the experimental setup, the time difference between the reaction target and the beam-stop was calculated to differentiate the signals and subtract out the beam-stop background.