Optimization of the particle discriminator based on the ballistic deficit method using delay-switched gated integrator

The particle discriminator we developed for CsI(Tl) elements of an ancillary detector array planned to be used together with large γ-ray detector systems utilizes the ballistic deficit effect for particle discrimination. This technique applies a low-ballistic-deficit long-time-constant unipolar semi-Gaussian shaper and a large-ballistic-deficit short-time-constant bipolar shaper. To match the signal processing time of our discriminator with that of the standard electronics for Ge detectors the long-time-constant semi-Gaussian shaper was substituted with the so-called delay-switched gated integrator. The experimental tests of the new arrangement show that the pulse processing time can be significantly shortened. The figure of merit of the particle discrimination improves with increasing the total integration time of the delay-switched gated integrator up to 12 μs, above which the improvement is negligible. Therefore, this 12 μs integration time is considered as a good compromise as for the figure of merit and the dead time of the new arrangement.