A Bi-Dimensional Multi-Wire Cathode Strip Detector for Fission Fragments
A large area bi-dimensional position sensitive multi-wire cathode strip detector (MCSD) has been developed for the detection of fission fragments (FFs). The performance of the detector has been characterized with FFs from 252Cf and α particles from 241Am-239Pu sources. The position information is obtained from the measurement of time delay signals of the cathode strips (X-direction) and split-cathode wires (Y-direction) with respect to the timing signal from the anode wires. The position resolution is found to be about 1.0 and 1.5 mm in X-and Y-directions respectively.
Capacitive charge division in centroid finding cathode readouts in MWPCs. Revision 1/93
A technique is described in which the centroid of induced charge on cathode strips in a proportional chamber can be determined with reduced differential and integral nonlinearity, without increasing the number of readout channels. It is based on capacitive charge division from intermediate cathode strips to adjacent readout strips, and may be applied to a variety of position readout principles.
Mass Loss History of Evolved Stars
We provide high-resolution maps of the circumstellar dust shells of several dozen Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars using data from the Spitzer space telescope Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS) imaged at 70μm. AGB stars are the major contributors of chemical elements such as carbon, oxygen and silicon, which are essential to the existence of life in the universe, through mass loss processes that take place at the surface of the star. We probe the spatial distribution of cold (∼40 K) dust grains in order to trace the history of mass loss from the observed radial density variation in these shells. Our images illustrate that different morphologies may evolve because AGB stars can already interact with the interstellar medium (ISM) that surrounds them even at these early stages of the AGB mass loss history. Relative motion of the star as well as the ISM with respect to the local environment may be of particular importance for shell structure evolution.