The Scintillation Detectors of the Super-TIGER Balloon Experiment
Abstract
Super-TIGER is a large-area (5.4m2) cosmic-ray balloon experiment designed to measure the abundances of cosmic-ray nuclei heavier than Iron. The instrument has collection power and resolution necessary to measure individual charge abundances between 29 <Z < 42 and exploratory measurements through Z=56. The instrument launched in December 2012 and had a successful 55 day flight. Super-TIGER has three layers of scintillation detectors, two Cherenkov detectors and a scintillating fiber hodoscope. Each scintillation detector (four per layer) employs four wavelength shifter bars surrounding the edges of the scintillator to collect the light from particles traversing the instrument. PMTs are optically coupled at both ends of the bars for light collection. In this paper we discuss the design, construction and performance of the scintillation detectors for the Super-TIGER flight. We also discuss scintillator saturation and how this is approached and addressed in the measurement of the ultra-heavy (Z> 30) elements measured by Super-TIGER.
- Publication:
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International Cosmic Ray Conference
- Pub Date:
- 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013ICRC...33.2182L
- Keywords:
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- Super-TIGER;
- cosmic rays;
- OB associations;
- instrumentation.