# Workshop on Active Targets and Time Projection Chambers for High-intensity and Heavy-ion beams in Nuclear Physics

Jan 17 – 19, 2018
Santiago de Compostela
Europe/Paris timezone

## Low-pressure TPC detector for studying photonuclear reactions at astrophysical energies with gamma-ray beams at ELI-NP

Jan 18, 2018, 10:00 AM
20m
Aula Magna, Facultad de Física (Santiago de Compostela)

### Aula Magna, Facultad de Física

#### Santiago de Compostela

Facultade de Física. Campus Vida s/n | E-15782, Santiago de Compostela | Galicia, Spain

### Speaker

Dr Mikolaj Cwiok (University of Warsaw)

### Description

The Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP) facility will provide monochromatic, high-brilliance and polarized gamma-ray beams, which can be used to study nuclear reactions of current astrophysical interest through the inverse photo-dissociation processes and detailed balance principle. In particular, of special interest are (p, $\gamma$) and ($\alpha$, $\gamma$) reactions that regulate the ratio of C and O and those that burn $^{18}$O and, therefore, regulate the ratio between $^{16}$O and $^{18}$O in the Universe. For instance, the benchmark inverse kinematic reaction $^{12}$C($\gamma$, $\alpha$)$^{16}$O can be investigated down to 1 MeV in the centre-of-mass reference frame, where experimental data from direct experiments are sparse.

A dedicated Time Projection Chamber (ELITPC) with an active gaseous target kept under low pressure is being developed at University of Warsaw, IFIN-HH/ELI-NP and University of Connecticut. The active target volume of ELITPC will be about 35 $\times$ 20 $\times$ 20 cm$^3$ and will be centered around gamma-beam axis. The reaction products stopped in the gas will produce primary electrons that drift towards charge amplification structures made of Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) foils. The three-dimensional kinematics of the photo-dissociation events will be reconstructed from about 10$^3$ signal strips, arranged into redundant, 3-coordinate system.

High intensity $\gamma$ beams are expected to be available at ELI-NP ($\sim$10$^7$ photons/bunch, 100 Hz bunch repetition rate). The beam-induced background has been studied using Monte Carlo techniques for different $\gamma$ beam profiles, in order to optimize the expected signal to background ratio. Several scaled demonstrator detectors were constructed and tested with alpha-particle and X-ray sources.

The results from ongoing R$\&$D activities for this project will be presented.

### Primary author

Dr Mikolaj Cwiok (University of Warsaw)

### Presentation materials

 cwiok_santiago2018_v8.pdf cwiok_santiago2018_v8.pptx