Design of a start-timing detector for the A-TOF facility

A-TOF is a novel time-of-flight device under construction for high-resolution spectroscopy of alpha-particle emission energies originating from the natural decay of heavy nuclides. It detects the time difference between pulses generated by the alpha-particle in a fly-through start-timing detector and in a stop-timing detector at several meters distance. This paper discusses the design of the start-timing detector and expands on details of its construction, including the electrostatic mirror, electron detector, and fast signal amplifier. Estimates are made about the anticipated timing resolution. The aim is to improve the energy resolution well below the physical limit of planar ion-implanted silicon detectors.