Abstract
The 8π spectrometer at TRIUMF-ISAC consists of 20 Compton-suppressed germanium detectors and various auxiliary devices. The Ge array, once used for studies of nuclei at high angular momentum, has been transformed into the world's most powerful device dedicated to radioactive-decay studies. Many improvements in the spectrometer have been made, including a high-throughput data acquisition system, installation of a moving tape collector, incorporation of an array of 20 plastic scintillators for β-particle tagging, 5 Si(Li) detectors for conversion electrons, and 10 BaF detectors for fast-lifetime measurements. Experiments can be performed where data from all detectors are collected simultaneously, resulting in a very detailed view of the nucleus through radioactive decay. A number of experimental programmes have been launched that take advantage of the versatility of the spectrometer, and the intense beams available at TRIUMF-ISAC. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.