Speaker
Description
The precise investigation of $\beta$-decay properties across various regions of the nuclear chart requires highly optimized experimental setups to minimize background contamination from long-lived daughter activities. In this context, detailed Monte Carlo simulations were developed using the Geant4 toolkit to optimize the design and operation of a movable tape-transport system.
The primary simulated geometry accurately reproduced the experimental apparatus utilized at the University of Jyväskylä, incorporating two Broad-Energy Germanium (BEGe6530) detectors, one High-Purity Germanium (GC7020) detector, a plastic scintillation detector for $\beta$ tagging, and the tape station [1]. Furthermore, to evaluate the versatility of the tape system and compare its performance under different detection configurations, the simulations were extended to a geometry resembling the ISOLDE Decay Station (IDS), utilizing CLOVER-type high-purity germanium detectors [2]. The main objective of these simulations was to facilitate the conscious mechanical planning of the tape station, assessing its structural durability and determining the optimal tape speed to ensure maximum measurement efficiency regardless of the specific isotopes under investigation.
During the simulation, representative $\gamma$-rays were emitted from the beam implantation site. Because the Geant4 toolkit does not natively support dynamic, continuously moving geometries during a single event run, another computational approach was implemented by discretizing the physical movement of the tape station into static positional steps. By analyzing the simulated energy spectra across these discrete spatial intervals, the exact tape velocities required to effectively eliminate daughter-nucleus decays from the measurement window were evaluated.
These simulations provide critical input for the final mechanical design of the transport system across varying experimental setups, ensuring an optimal balance between tape speed, structural integrity, and spectral purity. The methodology of discretizing dynamic components in Geant4, along with the derived optimal operational parameters for the tape station, will be presented and discussed.
[1] Krzysztof Solak. "Investigation of Nuclear States of $^{115}$Pd Populated in Beta Decay of 115Rh." Master's thesis, Univeristy of Warsaw, 2025.
[2] https://isolde-ids.web.cern.ch/#setup. 2025
| Contribution category | Experiment |
|---|---|
| Presenter status | Student |