CsI-bowl: an ancillary detector for exit channel selection in -ray spectroscopy experiments

particle detector array designed for light-charged particles, known as the CsI-bowl, was conceived for the purpose of refining exit channel selection for in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy experiments. This device is composed of 64 CsI(Tl) detectors, organized in a structure reminiscent of a tea-bowl. High quantum efficiency photodiodes, characterized by their minimal mass, were employed to collect scintillation light. The comprehensive account of the CsI-bowl includes details on its design, construction, particle identification resolution, and its efficacy in relation to exit channel selection. In source tests, the optimal figure of merit for the identification of alpha-particles and gamma-rays using the charge comparison method was found to be 3.3 and 12.1 for CsI detectors paired with photodiodes and avalanche photodiodes, respectively. The CsI-bowl demonstrated effectiveness in identifying particles, specifically the emission of protons and  alpha-particles in the 58Ni(19F, xpyn) fusion–evaporation reaction, thereby enabling the selection of the desired exit channel