Use of a Ge(Li) gamma detector near a 400 MeV intense proton beam in a p-γ coincidence experiment

Abstract The p-γ coincidence experiment looks at multinucleon removal in proton-nucleus interactions at intermediate energy and allows a good discrimination of several mechanisms. The residual nuclei identified from the γ-ray spectra characterize the final states, and the scattered proton momentum analysis gives the contribution of direct mechanisms. The experimental method and the apparatus are described. The main difficulty in such an experiment is to measure γ-rays with good resolution at a sufficiently high counting rate. Optimal working conditions and performances are given. Experimental data illustrating the method are presented.