About NAND

The large array of neutron detectors, named National Array of Neutron Detectors (NAND) is a DST supported nuclear physics experimental facility set up at IUAC. The detector array consists of 100 liquid scintillators, each cell having 5"x5" cylindrical size and type BC501A ( Saint Gobain) coupled to 5" photo multiplier tube (Hamamatsu R4144). They are all mounted at a fixed flight distance of 175 cm from the target position. The detectors are mounted on a semi-spherical dome ( geodesic) structure optimized for the present geometry. The Target is placed in a thin walled spherical scattering chamber of 100 cm diameter. Target chamber also has provision to put charged particle detectors like large area position sensitive multiwire proportional counters (MWPC) and silicon detectors to detect neutron emitting sources (heavy ions and fission fragments) and other associated light charged particles in coincidence with neutrons.The full array will allow the measurement of energy and angular distribution of neutrons produced in the nucleus-nucleus collision.This array is planned particularly to study dynamics involved in heavy ion induced fusion-fission reactions near and above the Coulomb barrier.

The NAND is a joint project with participation from Punjab University, Delhi University, Karnataka University and Inter University Accelerator Centre. This facility has been developed and installed at IUAC in collaboration with all the major nuclear physics research laboratories in the country (BARC, SINP, VECC and TIFR).