A
bstract
Excellent energy resolution is one of the primary advantages of electroluminescent high-pressure xenon TPCs. These detectors are promising tools in searching for rare physics events, such ...as neutrinoless double-beta decay (
ββ
0
ν
), which require precise energy measurements. Using the NEXT-White detector, developed by the NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) collaboration, we show for the first time that an energy resolution of 1% FWHM can be achieved at 2.6 MeV, establishing the present technology as the one with the best energy resolution of all xenon detectors for
ββ
0
ν
searches.
A
bstract
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used state-of-the-art computer vision tools that are becoming increasingly popular in high-energy physics. In this paper, we attempt to ...understand the potential of CNNs for event classification in the NEXT experiment, which will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in
136
Xe. To do so, we demonstrate the usage of CNNs for the identification of electron-positron pair production events, which exhibit a topology similar to that of a neutrinoless double-beta decay event. These events were produced in the NEXT-White high-pressure xenon TPC using 2.6 MeV gamma rays from a
228
Th calibration source. We train a network on Monte Carlo-simulated events and show that, by applying on-the-fly data augmentation, the network can be made robust against differences between simulation and data. The use of CNNs offers significant improvement in signal efficiency and background rejection when compared to previous non-CNN-based analyses.
Simulation results of a real-time in water tritium monitor Azevedo, C.D.R.; Baeza, A.; Chauveau, E. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
12/2020, Letnik:
982
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In this work we present simulation results for a modular tritium in-water real-time monitor. The system allows for scalability in order to achieve the required sensitivity. The modules are composed ...by 340 uncladed scintillating fibers immersed in water and 2 photosensors in coincidence for light readout. Light yield and Birks’ coefficient uncertainties for low energy beta particles is discussed. A study of the detection efficiency according to the fiber length is presented. Discussion on the system requirements and background mitigation for a device with sensitivity of 100Bq/L, required to comply with the European directive 2013/51/Euratom, is presented. Due to the low energetic beta emission from tritium a detection efficiency close to 3.3% was calculated for a single 2 mm round fiber.
Charging-up processes affecting gain stability in Thick Gas Electron Multipliers (THGEM) were studied with a dedicated simulation toolkit. Integrated with Garfield++, it provides an effective ...platform for systematic phenomenological studies of charging-up processes in MPGD detectors. We describe the simulation tool and the fine-tuning of the step-size required for the algorithm convergence, in relation to physical parameters. Simulation results of gain stability over time in THGEM detectors are presented, exploring the role of electrode-thickness and applied voltage on its evolution. The results show that the total amount of irradiated charge through electrode's hole needed for reaching gain stabilization is in the range of tens to hundreds of pC, depending on the detector geometry and operational voltage. These results are in agreement with experimental observations presented previously.
In 2016 we have upgraded the COMPASS RICH by novel gaseous photon detectors based on MPGD technology. Four new photon detectors, covering a total active area of 1.5
m
2
, have been installed in order ...to cope with the challenging efficiency and stability requirements of the COMPASS physics programme. The new detector architecture consists in a hybrid MPGD combination: two layers of THGEMs, the first of which also acts as a reflective photocathode thanks to CsI coating, are coupled to a bulk Micromegas on a pad-segmented anode. These detectors are the first application in an experiment of MPGD-based single photon detectors. Presently, we are further developing the MPGD-based PDs to make them adequate for a setup at the future EIC collider. All aspects of the COMPASS RICH-1 Photon Detectors upgrade are presented: R&D, engineering, mass production, QA and performance; the on-going development for collider application is also presented.
The MPGD-based photon detectors for the upgrade of COMPASS RICH-1 Alexeev, M.; Azevedo, C.D.R.; Birsa, R. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
12/2017, Letnik:
876
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The RICH-1 Detector of the COMPASS experiment at CERN SPS has undergone an important upgrade for the 2016 physics run. Four new photon detectors, based on Micro Pattern Gaseous Detector technology ...and covering a total active area larger than 1.2m2 have replaced the previously used MWPC-based photon detectors. The upgrade answers the challenging efficiency and stability quest for the new phase of the COMPASS spectrometer physics programme. The new detector architecture consists in a hybrid MPGD combination of two Thick Gas Electron Multipliers and a MicroMegas stage. Signals, extracted from the anode pad by capacitive coupling, are read-out by analog F-E based on the APV25 chip. The main aspects of the COMPASS RICH-1 photon detectors upgrade are presented focussing on detector design, engineering aspects, mass production, the quality assessment and assembly challenges of the MPGD components. The status of the detector commissioning is also presented.
In-beam evaluation of a fully-equipped medium-size 30 x 30 cm super(2) Resistive Plate WELL (RPWELL) detector is presented. It consists here of a single element gas-avalanche multiplier with Semitron ...ESD225 resistive plate, 1 cm super(2) readout pads and APV25/SRS electronics. Similarly to previous results with small detector prototypes, stable operation at high detection efficiency (> 98%) and low average pad multiplicity (~ 1.2) were recorded with 150 GeV muon and high-rate pion beams, in Ne/(5%CH sub(4)), Ar/(5%CH sub(4)) and Ar/(7%CO sub(2)). This is an important step towards the realization of robust detectors suitable for applications requiring large-area coverage; among them Digital Hadron Calorimetry.
Abstract
In this paper, we report the development and performance of
a detector module envisaging a tritium-in-water real-time activity
monitor. The monitor is based on modular detection units whose
...number can be chosen according to the required sensitivity. The full
system is being designed to achieve a
Minimum Detectable
Activity
(
MDA
) of 100 Bq/L of tritium-in-water activity
which is the limit established by the E.U. Council Directive
2013/51/Euratom for water intended for human consumption. The same
system can be used as a real-time pre-alert system for nuclear power
plant regarding tritium-in water environmental surveillance. The
first detector module was characterized, commissioned and installed
immediately after the discharge channel of the Arrocampo dam
(Almaraz nuclear power plant, Spain) on the Tagus river. Due to the
high sensitivity of the single detection modules, the system
requires radioactive background mitigation techniques through the
use of active and passive shielding. We have extrapolated a
MDA
of 3.6 kBq/L for a single module being this value
limited by the cosmic background. The obtained value for a single
module is already compatible with a real-time environmental
surveillance and pre-alert system. Further optimization of the
single-module sensitivity will imply the reduction of the number of
modules and the cost of the detector system.
Within the framework of xenon-based double beta decay experiments, we propose the possibility to improve the background rejection of an electroluminescent Time Projection Chamber (EL TPC) by reducing ...the diffusion of the drifting electrons while keeping nearly intact the energy resolution of a pure xenon EL TPC. Based on state-of-the-art microscopic simulations, a substantial addition of helium, around 10 or 15 %, may reduce drastically the transverse diffusion down to 2.5 mm/m from the 10.5 mm/m of pure xenon. The longitudinal diffusion remains around 4 mm/m. Light production studies have been performed as well. They show that the relative variation in energy resolution introduced by such a change does not exceed a few percent, which leaves the energy resolution practically unchanged. The technical caveats of using photomultipliers close to an helium atmosphere are also discussed in detail.
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