A Large High Vacuum Reaction Chamber for Nuclear Physics Research at VECC, Kolkata

A large, segmented, horizontal axis, reaction chamber (SHARC) has recently been fabricated, installed and integrated with the beam line in the VECC superconducting cyclotron (SCC) experimental area. It is a cylindrical, three segment, stainless steel chamber of length 2.2 m, diameter 1 m. Two pairs of parallel rails have been provided internally for placement of the target assembly and detector systems within the chamber. The whole target assembly can be placed anywhere on the rail to facilitate optimum flight path. The nominal vacuum of ∼1×10⁻⁷ mbar has been obtained in ∼8 hrs by means of two turbo molecular (1000 l/s) and two cryo pumps (2500 l/s) backed by mechanical pumps. The whole vacuum system as well as the target positioning (vertical and rotational movements) operations are fully automated with manual override option; both are monitored and controlled locally as well as remotely through the local and remote control units providing real time status display.