Simulations of the SIMBA array towards the determination of Qβ values

Abstract

In an experiment at RIKEN, radioactive ions were implanted in the SIMBA silicon detector array and the β particles from the subsequent decay detected. However, as SIMBA is not capable of complete calorimetry, it is not possible to extract Qβ values directly from the data. Geant4 simulations have been used to determine the response of SIMBA to a given β-emission spectrum. By simulating with different β spectra and calculating the detector response to each spectrum, it is possible to compare with experiment and deduce the Qβ values. The technique is validated using two nuclei, for which the expected β spectrum is known from the literature.