The ATLAS detector as installed in its experimental cavern at point 1 at CERN is described in this paper. A brief overview of the expected performance of the detector when the Large Hadron Collider begins operation is also presented.
The International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) was founded in 1978 and was the first institution in Italy to promote post-graduate courses leading to a Doctor Philosophiae (or PhD) degree. A centre of excellence among Italian and international universities, the school has around 65 teachers, 100 post docs and 245 PhD students, and is located in Trieste, in a campus of more than 10 hectares with wonderful views over the Gulf of Trieste.
SISSA hosts a very high-ranking, large and multidisciplinary scientific research output. The scientific papers produced by its researchers are published in high impact factor, well-known international journals, and in many cases in the world's most prestigious scientific journals such as Nature and Science. Over 900 students have so far started their careers in the field of mathematics, physics and neuroscience research at SISSA.
ISSN: 1748-0221
Journal of Instrumentation (JINST) is a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed and online-only journal designed to support the needs of this expanding community. JINST was created jointly by the International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA) and IOP Publishing.
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The CMS Collaboration et al 2008 JINST 3 S08004
The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is described. The detector operates at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It was conceived to study proton-proton (and lead-lead) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV (5.5 TeV nucleon-nucleon) and at luminosities up to 1034 cm−2 s−1 (1027 cm−2 s−1). At the core of the CMS detector sits a high-magnetic-field and large-bore superconducting solenoid surrounding an all-silicon pixel and strip tracker, a lead-tungstate scintillating-crystals electromagnetic calorimeter, and a brass-scintillator sampling hadron calorimeter. The iron yoke of the flux-return is instrumented with four stations of muon detectors covering most of the 4π solid angle. Forward sampling calorimeters extend the pseudorapidity coverage to high values (|η| ⩽ 5) assuring very good hermeticity. The overall dimensions of the CMS detector are a length of 21.6 m, a diameter of 14.6 m and a total weight of 12500 t.
The LHCb Collaboration et al 2008 JINST 3 S08005
The LHCb experiment is dedicated to precision measurements of CP violation and rare decays of B hadrons at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN (Geneva). The initial configuration and expected performance of the detector and associated systems, as established by test beam measurements and simulation studies, is described.
Lyndon Evans and Philip Bryant 2008 JINST 3 S08001
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN near Geneva is the world's newest and most powerful tool for Particle Physics research. It is designed to collide proton beams with a centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV and an unprecedented luminosity of 1034 cm−2 s−1. It can also collide heavy (Pb) ions with an energy of 2.8 TeV per nucleon and a peak luminosity of 1027 cm−2 s−1. In this paper, the machine design is described.
K. Batani 2023 JINST 18 C09012
Recent experiments with high-intensity lasers have shown record production of α-particles by irradiating boron-hydrogen targets. This opened the way to completely new studies on proton-boron fusion with multiple goals:
i) studies related to nuclear fusion. The proton-boron fusion reaction produces 3 α-particles and releases a large energy. It is considered an interesting alternative to deuterium-tritium fusion because it produces no neutrons, therefore no activation and radioactive wastes.
ii) generation of novel laser-driven α-particle sources. Laser-driven α-particle sources are promising for their potential high brightness while remaining compact. They could be used for multidisciplinary applications, including medical ones.
The COST Action CA21128 — PROBONO (PROton BOron Nuclear fusion: from energy production to medical applicatiOns) is the first international programme which aims at understanding the physics involved in laser-driven pB fusion, including the study of Equation of State of boron and boron compounds. Action's goals are to facilitate access to experimental infrastructures, maximize production of new knowledge, boost the career of young researchers by fostering opportunities for training, and finally interconnect researchers across countries building a well-organized community focused on pB research.
The ALICE Collaboration et al 2008 JINST 3 S08002
ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a general-purpose, heavy-ion detector at the CERN LHC which focuses on QCD, the strong-interaction sector of the Standard Model. It is designed to address the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma at extreme values of energy density and temperature in nucleus-nucleus collisions. Besides running with Pb ions, the physics programme includes collisions with lighter ions, lower energy running and dedicated proton-nucleus runs. ALICE will also take data with proton beams at the top LHC energy to collect reference data for the heavy-ion programme and to address several QCD topics for which ALICE is complementary to the other LHC detectors. The ALICE detector has been built by a collaboration including currently over 1000 physicists and engineers from 105 Institutes in 30 countries. Its overall dimensions are 16 × 16 × 26 m3 with a total weight of approximately 10 000 t. The experiment consists of 18 different detector systems each with its own specific technology choice and design constraints, driven both by the physics requirements and the experimental conditions expected at LHC. The most stringent design constraint is to cope with the extreme particle multiplicity anticipated in central Pb-Pb collisions. The different subsystems were optimized to provide high-momentum resolution as well as excellent Particle Identification (PID) over a broad range in momentum, up to the highest multiplicities predicted for LHC. This will allow for comprehensive studies of hadrons, electrons, muons, and photons produced in the collision of heavy nuclei. Most detector systems are scheduled to be installed and ready for data taking by mid-2008 when the LHC is scheduled to start operation, with the exception of parts of the Photon Spectrometer (PHOS), Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) and Electro Magnetic Calorimeter (EMCal). These detectors will be completed for the high-luminosity ion run expected in 2010. This paper describes in detail the detector components as installed for the first data taking in the summer of 2008.
M.J. Christensen and T. Richter 2020 JINST 15 T09005
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a commonly used protocol for data transmission in small embedded systems. UDP as such is unreliable and packet losses can occur. The achievable data rates can suffer if optimal packet sizes are not used. The alternative, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) guarantees the ordered delivery of data and automatically adjusts transmission to match the capability of the transmission link. Nevertheless UDP is often favored over TCP due to its simplicity, small memory and instruction footprints. Both UDP and TCP are implemented in all larger operating systems and commercial embedded frameworks. In addition UDP also supported on a variety of small hardware platforms such as Digital Signal Processors (DSP) Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). This is not so common for TCP. This paper describes how high speed UDP based data transmission with very low packet error ratios was achieved. The near-reliable communications link is used in a data acquisition (DAQ) system for the next generation of extremely intense neutron source, European Spallation Source. This paper presents measurements of UDP performance and reliability as achieved by employing several optimizations. The measurements were performed on Xeon E5 based CentOS (Linux) servers. The measured data rates are very close to the 10 Gb/s line rate, and zero packet loss was achieved. The performance was obtained utilizing a single processor core as transmitter and a single core as receiver. The results show that support for transmitting large data packets is a key parameter for good performance. Optimizations for throughput are: MTU, packet sizes, tuning Linux kernel parameters, thread affinity, core locality and efficient timers.
X. Llopart et al 2022 JINST 17 C01044
Timepix4 is a 24.7 × 30.0 mm2 hybrid pixel detector readout ASIC which has been designed to permit detector tiling on 4 sides. It consists of 448 × 512 pixels which can be bump bonded to a sensor with square pixels at a pitch of 55 µm. Like its predecessor, Timepix3, it can operate in data driven mode sending out information (Time of Arrival, ToA and Time over Threshold, ToT) only when a pixel has a hit above a pre-defined and programmable threshold. In this mode hits can be tagged to a time bin of <200 ps and Timepix4 can record hits correctly at incoming rates of ∼3.6 MHz/mm2/s. In photon counting (or frame-based) mode it can count incoming hits at rates of up to 5 GHz/mm2/s. In both modes data is output via between 2 and 16 serializers each running at a programmable data bandwidth of between 40 Mbps and 10 Gbps. The specifications, architecture and circuit implementation are described along with first electrical measurements and measurements with radioactive sources. In photon counting mode X-ray images have been taken at a threshold of 650 e− (with <10 masked pixels). In data driven mode images were taken of ToA/ToT data using a 90Sr source at a threshold of 800 e− (with ∼120 masked pixels).
G. Petringa et al 2024 JINST 19 C04044
The 11B(p,α)2α reaction, generating three alpha particles, emerges as a promising alternative or complementary route for clean and efficient energy generation. A comprehensive understanding of reaction dynamics, energy distribution of emitted particles, and optimization of fusion efficiency requires precise diagnostic methods. CR39 detectors, being highly sensitive to ions and neutrons while remaining transparent to low fluxes of electrons and gammas, are extensively utilized as primary Solid State Nuclear Track Detector devices in laser-plasma environments. This study presents the CR-39 track detector calibration to low-energy protons and alpha particles. CR-39 irradiation took place at INFN-LNL (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare — Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Legnaro, Italy) across a range of energies (≥ 80 keV) up to a few MeV, employing various etching times with a NaOH solution. The observed discrepancy in particle diameters, related to a specific etching time, presents a promising avenue for distinguishing alpha particles from proton contributions. This finding holds potential for future practical applications in the study of 11B(p,α)2α fusion reactions.
D. Abbaneo et al 2016 JINST 11 C01023
In this work the design of a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) to be used in the VFAT3 chip for the read-out of the triple-GEM detectors of the CMS experiment, is described. A prototype chip containing 8 CFDs was implemented using 130 nm CMOS technology and test results are shown.
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Jack Sanders on behalf of the NA62 collaboration 2024 JINST 19 C05026
The precision measurement of K+ → π+νν̅ at the NA62 experiment requires a kaon identification detector to have a time resolution better than 100 ps, at least 95 % kaon identification efficiency, and a pion misidentification probability of less than 10-4. Since the start of NA62 data taking in 2016, kaon identification has been performed by a differential Cherenkov with achromatic ring focus (CEDAR) detector with a nitrogen gas radiator. A new CEDAR using hydrogen (CEDAR-H) as a radiator gas has been developed to reduce the material in the beamline, reducing the beam particle scattering within the detector. CEDAR-H was validated during a two-week test beam at CERN in 2022 and was approved by the NA62 collaboration for use in data taking from 2023. The test beam results, installation and commissioning in the NA62 beamline are reported.
Rocco Ardino et al 2024 JINST 19 C05027
A novel Data Acquisition (DAQ) system, known as Level-1 Data Scouting (L1DS), is being introduced as part of the Level-1 (L1) trigger of the CMS experiment. The L1DS system will receive the L1 intermediate primitives from the CMS Phase-2 L1 trigger on the DAQ-800 custom boards, designed for the Phase-2 central DAQ. Firmware is being developed for this purpose on the Xilinx VCU128 board, with features similar to one half of the DAQ-800, and validated in a demonstrator for LHC Run-3. This contribution describes the firmware development in view of the target design for the DAQ-800.
P. Belli et al 2024 JINST 19 P05037
In this work, we present new studies by using different materials and procedures to improve the performances and radiopurity of Cs2ZrCl6 (CZC) crystal scintillators. In particular, measurements of three new CZC crystals as scintillators were performed over 97.7 days live-time in the low-background DAMA/CRYS set-up deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. They allow us to derive elements for improvements towards a possible future use of this kind of detectors in the search for neutrino-less double beta decay of 94,96Zr and rare single beta decay of 96Zr.
N. Li et al 2024 JINST 19 P05038
Transition-edge sensors (TESs) are sensitive devices for detecting photons from millimeter radiation to γ rays. Their photon counting efficiency and collecting area benefit from large-array multiplexing scheme, and therefore the development of multiplexing readout system has been an important topic in this field. Among the many multiplex techniques, time-division multiplexing (TDM) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been used most widely for TES readout. In this work, we design a Configurable Ultra-Low Noise Current Source (CLCS) for TES characterization and as a part of a whole TDM-TES bias control system. The CLCS is based on the feedback structure of ultra-low noise instrumentation amplifiers and low-noise, high-resolution (20 bits) digital-to-analog converter (DAC). CLCS has an ultra-high resolution of 10 nA in the 0 to 5 mA current output range, and can perform current-voltage (IV) sweep and bias-step tests to measure key TES parameters on board. The feedback structure of the CLCS also avoids the issue of impedance mismatch.
M.C. Crocco et al 2024 JINST 19 C05025
An archaeometric study was carried out on thirteen of the thirty ancient Roman coins found in the "Grotta delle Ninfe" in Cerchiara di Calabria, Calabria, Italy. The coins are exhibited at the Brettii and Enotri Museum in Cosenza, Calabria. Due to their exposure to sulfur-rich water sources near the excavation site, these coins have deteriorated. The inscriptions are entirely unreadable due to a thick coating of corrosion products that have accumulated. This study aims to summarize the results obtained in previous works, including identifying the constituent elements, revealing hidden inscriptions that may help restore readability, and establishing the coin creation period and place.
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Łukasz Kamil Graczykowski et al 2022 JINST 17 C07016
Particle identification (PID) is one of the main strengths of the ALICE experiment at the LHC. It is a crucial ingredient for detailed studies of the strongly interacting matter formed in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. ALICE provides PID information via various experimental techniques, allowing for the identification of particles over a broad momentum range (from around 100 MeV/c to around 50 GeV/c). The main challenge is how to combine the information from various detectors effectively. Therefore, PID represents a model classification problem, which can be addressed using Machine Learning (ML) solutions. Moreover, the complexity of the detector and richness of the detection techniques make PID an interesting area of research also for the computer science community. In this work, we show the current status of the ML approach to PID in ALICE. We discuss the preliminary work with the Random Forest approach for the LHC Run 2 and a more advanced solution based on Domain Adaptation Neural Networks, including a proposal for its future implementation within the ALICE computing software for the upcoming LHC Run 3.
T. Akiyama et al 2022 JINST 17 C01052
A fast wave interferometer (FWI), which can measure ion mass density, has been developed on DIII-D for its use on future fusion reactors, as well as for the study of ion behavior in current plasma devices. The frequency of the fast waves used for the FWI is around 60 MHz, and require antennas and coaxial cables or waveguides, which, unlike traditional mirror-based optical interferometers, are less susceptible to neutron/gamma-ray radiation and are relatively immune to impurity deposition and erosion as well as alignment issues. The bulk ion density evaluated using FWI show good agreement with that derived from CO2 interferometry within about 15%. When the ion mass density measurement by FWI is combined with an electron density measurement from CO2 interferometry, Zeff measurements are also enabled and are in agreement with those from visible Bremsstrahlung measurements. Additionally, large-bandwidth FWI measurements clearly resolve 10–100 kHz coherent modes and demonstrate its potential as a core fluctuation diagnostic, sensitive to both magnetic and ion density perturbations.
C. Guidi et al 2021 JINST 16 C10004
KM3NeT (Cubic Kilometer Neutrino Telescope) is a research infrastructure that comprises two underwater neutrino detectors located at different sites in the Mediterranean Sea: KM3NeT-Fr (ORCA) (offshore the coast of Toulon, France, at a depth of around 2500 m) and KM3NeT-It (ARCA) (off Capo Passero, Sicily, Italy, at a depth of around 3500 m). The experiment consists of vertical structures, called strings, along which the optical modules are positioned. A hydrophone, located on the base of each string, is used for the reconstruction of the position of the KM3NeT elements with an accuracy of 10 cm. The presence of acoustic sensors in an underwater environment gives the opportunity to detect and study the sound emissions of marine mammals present in the area. The presented work describes the identification programs of the signals emitted by dolphins (clicks and whistles) and sperm whales (clicks) and the results of the analysis of real data collected between spring 2020 and spring 2021.
S. Sharakin and O.I. Ruiz Hernandez 2021 JINST 16 T07013
The Tracking Ultraviolet Set-up (TUS) is the world's first orbital imaging detector of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) and it operated in 2016–2017 as part of the scientific equipment of the Lomonosov satellite. The TUS was developed and manufactured as a prototype of the larger project K-EUSO with the main purpose of testing the efficiency of the method for measuring the ultraviolet signal of extensive air shower (EAS) in the Earth's night atmosphere. Despite the low spatial resolution (∼5 × 5 km2 at sea level), several events were recorded which are very similar to EAS as for the signal profile and kinematics. Reconstruction of the parameters of such events is complicated by a short track length, an asymmetry of the image, and an uncertainty in the sensitivity distribution of the TUS channels. An advanced method was developed for the determination of event kinematic parameters including its arrival direction. In the present article, this method is applied for the analysis of 6 EAS-like events recorded by the TUS detector. All events have an out of space arrival direction with zenith angles less than 40°. Remarkably they were found to be over the land rather close to United States airports, which indicates a possible anthropogenic nature of the phenomenon. Detailed analysis revealed a correlation of the reconstructed tracks with direction to airport runways and Very High Frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range stations. The method developed here for reliable reconstruction of kinematic parameters of the track-like events, registered in low spatial resolution, will be useful in future space missions, such as K-EUSO.
V Chepel and H Araújo 2013 JINST 8 R04001
We review the current status of liquid noble gas radiation detectors with energy threshold in the keV range, which are of interest for direct dark matter searches, measurement of coherent neutrino scattering and other low energy particle physics experiments. Emphasis is given to the operation principles and the most important instrumentation aspects of these detectors, principally of those operated in the double-phase mode. Recent technological advances and relevant developments in photon detection and charge readout are discussed in the context of their applicability to those experiments.
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Jack Sanders and the NA62 collaboration 2024 JINST 19 C05026
The precision measurement of K+ → π+νν̅ at the NA62 experiment requires a kaon identification detector to have a time resolution better than 100 ps, at least 95 % kaon identification efficiency, and a pion misidentification probability of less than 10-4. Since the start of NA62 data taking in 2016, kaon identification has been performed by a differential Cherenkov with achromatic ring focus (CEDAR) detector with a nitrogen gas radiator. A new CEDAR using hydrogen (CEDAR-H) as a radiator gas has been developed to reduce the material in the beamline, reducing the beam particle scattering within the detector. CEDAR-H was validated during a two-week test beam at CERN in 2022 and was approved by the NA62 collaboration for use in data taking from 2023. The test beam results, installation and commissioning in the NA62 beamline are reported.
Rocco Ardino et al 2024 JINST 19 C05027
A novel Data Acquisition (DAQ) system, known as Level-1 Data Scouting (L1DS), is being introduced as part of the Level-1 (L1) trigger of the CMS experiment. The L1DS system will receive the L1 intermediate primitives from the CMS Phase-2 L1 trigger on the DAQ-800 custom boards, designed for the Phase-2 central DAQ. Firmware is being developed for this purpose on the Xilinx VCU128 board, with features similar to one half of the DAQ-800, and validated in a demonstrator for LHC Run-3. This contribution describes the firmware development in view of the target design for the DAQ-800.
P. Belli et al 2024 JINST 19 P05037
In this work, we present new studies by using different materials and procedures to improve the performances and radiopurity of Cs2ZrCl6 (CZC) crystal scintillators. In particular, measurements of three new CZC crystals as scintillators were performed over 97.7 days live-time in the low-background DAMA/CRYS set-up deep underground at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the I.N.F.N. They allow us to derive elements for improvements towards a possible future use of this kind of detectors in the search for neutrino-less double beta decay of 94,96Zr and rare single beta decay of 96Zr.
M.C. Crocco et al 2024 JINST 19 C05025
An archaeometric study was carried out on thirteen of the thirty ancient Roman coins found in the "Grotta delle Ninfe" in Cerchiara di Calabria, Calabria, Italy. The coins are exhibited at the Brettii and Enotri Museum in Cosenza, Calabria. Due to their exposure to sulfur-rich water sources near the excavation site, these coins have deteriorated. The inscriptions are entirely unreadable due to a thick coating of corrosion products that have accumulated. This study aims to summarize the results obtained in previous works, including identifying the constituent elements, revealing hidden inscriptions that may help restore readability, and establishing the coin creation period and place.
G. Canezin et al 2024 JINST 19 P05034
Recently we have proposed a new concept of a thermal neutron detector based on resistive plate chambers and 10B4C solid neutron converters, enabling to readout with high resolution in both the 3D position of neutron capture and the neutron time of flight (ToF). In this paper, we report the results of the first beam tests conducted with a new neutron RPC detection module, coupled to the position readout units of a new design. The main focus is on the measurements of the neutron ToF and identification of the converter layer where the neutron is captured, giving the position along the beam direction.
Andreas Leonhardt et al 2024 JINST 19 C05020
We present a novel cryogenic VUV spectrofluorometer designed to characterize wavelength shifters (WLS) crucial for experiments based on liquid argon (LAr) scintillation light detection. Wavelength shifters like 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene (TPB) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) are used in these experiments to shift the VUV scintillation light to the visible region. Precise knowledge of the optical properties of the WLS at liquid argon's temperature (87 K) and LAr scintillation wavelength (128 nm) is necessary to model and understand the detector response. The cryogenic VUV spectrofluorometer was commissioned to measure the emission spectra and relative wavelength shifting efficiency (WLSE) of samples between 300 K to 87 K for VUV (120 nm to 190 nm) and UV (310 nm) excitation. New mitigation techniques for surface effects on cold WLS were established. As part of this work, the TPB-based wavelength shifting reflector (WLSR) featured in the neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment LEGEND-200 was characterized. The WLSE was observed to increase by (54 ± 5) % from room temperature (RT) to 87 K. PEN installed in LEGEND-200 was also characterized, and a first measurement of the relative WLSE and emission spectrum at RT and 87 K is presented. The WLSE of amorphous PEN was found to be enhanced by at least (37 ± 4) % for excitation with 128 nm and by (52 ± 3) % for UV excitation at 87 K compared to RT.
Martina Franchi et al 2024 JINST 19 C05022
Ancient documents are important historical sources that are often found in a fragmented condition due to their conservation status. In this study, we examined fragments of paper found in 1996 during excavation of the Santi Quattro Coronati complex, in Rome. The archaeological site where the fragments were found is situated on the first floor of the tower within the complex. This location was used as a disposal pit approximately between the 15th and 16th centuries. The fragments exhibit text discoloration, hindering automatic recognition and human readability. To reveal the faded text, the fragments have been digitalized, converted into a perceptually uniform color space and the contrast has been enhanced. The photometric characteristics of the input and enhanced images have been statistically characterized, and the contrast enhancement assessed by a state-of-the-art metric. The statistical analysis of the text colour coordinates was carried out to develop supervised and unsupervised image segmentation, isolating the text. The results of the method show that it effectively identifies text regions within images, improving readability, even for faded text. It can be integrated into deep learning-based character recognition systems, facilitating the automatic analysis of historical handwritten documents.
Alexander Volker et al 2024 JINST 19 C05024
A reliable and cost-effective interconnect technology is required for the development of hybrid pixel detectors. The interconnect technology needs to be adapted for the pitch and die sizes of the respective applications. This contribution presents recent results of a newly developed in-house single-die interconnection process based on Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives (ACA). The ACA interconnect technology replaces solder bumps with conductive micro-particles embedded in an epoxy layer applied as either film or paste. The electro-mechanical connection between the sensor and ASIC is achieved via thermocompression of the ACA using a flip-chip device bonder. The ACA technology can also be used for ASIC-PCB/FPC integration, replacing wire bonding or large-pitch solder bumping techniques. A specific pixel-pad topology is required to enable the connection via micro-particles and create cavities into which excess epoxy can flow. This pixel-pad topology is achieved with an in-house Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) process. The ENIG and ACA processes are qualified with a variety of different ASICs, sensors, and dedicated interconnect test structures, with pad diameters ranging from 12 μm to 140 μm and pitches between 20 μm and 1.3 mm. The produced assemblies are characterized electrically, with radioactive-source exposures, and in tests with high-momentum particle beams. This contribution introduces the developed interconnect and plating processes and showcases different hybrid assemblies produced and tested with the above-mentioned methods. A focus is placed on recent optimization of the plating and interconnect processes, resulting in an improved plating uniformity and interconnect yield.
A.Mohammad E. Alsulimane et al 2024 JINST 19 P05025
Neutron detection systems are of increasing importance in applications from basic science to medical applications and reactors. 3He proportional counters remain the most popular choice for monitoring thermal neutrons with a detection efficiency of around 60%, however, due to 3He global shortages, a new generation of detection technologies will be required to meet the rising demand. As a result, extensive research is being conducted to investigate alternative methods of neutron detection. This work presents such a system and demonstrates its calibration and evaluation using an AmBe neutron source. The detection system involves silicon sensors coated by converter layers to make the detectors sensitive to thermal neutrons via neutron capture and measurement of the resulting secondary charged particles. The detection system is presented in two configurations, a single and a multi-layer configuration, where the latter is used to increase the total detection efficiency. In addition, the system is capable of determining coincident signals from a single neutron capture, a feature which allows background suppression and an increase in the purity of the neutron signal which is particularly useful in mixed radiation environments.
Alessandro Drago et al 2024 JINST 19 P05027
The gravitational wave GW170817 from a binary neutron star merger and the simultaneous electromagnetic detection of the GRB170717A by Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, opened a new era in the multi-messenger astronomy. Furthermore, the GRBs (Gamma-Ray Bursts) and the mysterious FRBs (Fast Radio Bursts) have sparked interest in the development of new detectors and telescopes dedicated to the time-domain astronomy across the electromagnetic spectrum. Time-domain astronomy aims to acquire fast astronomical bursts in temporal range between a few seconds down to 1 ns. Fast InfraRed Bursts (FIRB's) have been relatively understudied, often due to the lack of appropriate tools for observation and analysis. In this scientific scenario, the present contribution proposes a new detection system for ground-based reflecting telescopes working in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) range to search for astronomical FIRB's. Experience developed in the diagnostics for lepton circular accelerators can be used to design temporal devices for astronomy. Longitudinal diagnostic instruments acquire bunch-by-bunch particle shifts in the direction of flight, that is equivalent to temporal. Transverse device integrates the beam signal in the horizontal and vertical coordinates, as standard telescopes. The proposed instrument aims to work in temporal mode. Feasibility study tests have been carried out at SINBAD, the infrared beam line of DAFNE, the e+e- collider of INFN. SINBAD releases pulsed infrared synchrotron light with 2.7 ns separation. The front-end detector system has been evaluated to detect temporal fast infrared signals with 2–12 μm wavelengths and 1 ns rise times. The present contribute aims to be a step toward a feasibility study report.