Detector systems for PERC

Full text: The b-decay of neutrons gives access to the structure and nature of the weak interaction. Main emphasis lies on tests of the validity of the Standard Model (unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix) and searches for possible extensions (e.g., right-handed currents, SUSY). Therefore, we study angular correlations involving the neutron spin and the momenta of the b-decay products (electrons and protons) with the new facility PERC. Different methods for electron energy spectroscopy, simultaneous electron and proton momentum spectroscopy, and proton spectroscopy are under development. So far, the efficiency of a scintillation detector with photomultiplier readout is investigated. The advantage of scintillation detectors is a short readout time with time resolution of 1 ns, which is needed for high count rate spectroscopy with PERC. The principles of PERC, different detection systems as well as first results of our efficiency studies, with calibration sources, are presented in this poster. (author)