Linear electronics for Si-detectors and its energy calibration for use in heavy ion experiments

Abstract The design and implementation of linear electronics based on small-size, low-power charge preamplifiers and shaping amplifiers, used in connection with Si-detector telescopes employed in heavy ion experiments, are presented. Bench tests and “under beam” performances are discussed. In particular, the energy calibration and the linearity test of the overall system (Si-detector and linear and digital conversion electronics) has been performed with a procedure which avoids the pulse height defect problems connected with the detection of heavy ions. The procedure, basically, consists of using bursts of MeV protons, releasing up to GeV energies inside the detector, with low ionization density.