GARFIELD: a General ARray for Fragment Identification and for Emitted Light particles in Dissipative collisions

GARFIELD, an apparatus designed to study complex nuclear events produced in the medium-low energy range (5-20 A MeV) heavy ion induced reactions, is presented. Its main components are two newly conceived drift chambers, based on the ΔE-E technique, for fragment and light charged particle identification (θ = 30°-150°). The ΔE signals are delivered by 180 micro-strip detectors that amplify the primary ionization produced along the track left by the particle in the gas. The residual energy signals are given by 180 CsI(TI) crystals. Details both on the main characteristics of the single parts and of the whole apparatus are given. The drift chambers are complemented by a ring counter, an annular three element multi-telescope for forward emitted reaction products (θ = 6°-18°), and a set of position sensitive parallel plate detectors (20×20 cm² each), used mainly for PLF or evaporation residues detection and mass measurements in dissipative collisions.