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At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Event-by-event direction reconstruction of solar neutrinos in a high light-yield liquid scintillator

The direction of individual B 8 solar neutrinos has been reconstructed using the SNO + liquid scintillator detector. Prompt, directional Cherenkov light was separated from the slower, isotropic scintillation light using time information, and a maximum likelihood method was used to reconstruct the direction of individual scattered electrons. A clear directional signal was observed, correlated with the solar angle. The observation was aided by a period of low primary fluor concentration that resulted in a slower scintillator decay time. This is the first time that event-by-event direction reconstruction in high light-yield liquid scintillator has been demonstrated in a large-scale detector. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reconstruction of neutrino events in the Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment. Part I

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) was designed to reconstruct neutrino events from the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) with the parallel goals of measuring neutron production in interactions with oxygen and serving as a testbed for new technology. The ANNIE detector consists of a 26-ton water Cherenkov target tank instrumented with conventional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), a downstream tracking muon spectrometer, and an upstream double wall of plastic scintillator to serve to veto charged particles incoming from neutrino events that occur upstream of the experimental setup. ANNIE has also deployed multiple Large-Area Picosecond PhotoDetectors (LAPPDs) and a test vessel of water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS). This paper describes the event reconstruction performance of the detector before implementation of these novel technologies, which will serve as a baseline against which their impact can be measured. That said, even the techniques used for event reconstruction using only the conventional PMT array and muon spectrometer are significantly different than those used in other water Cherenkov detectors due to the small size of ANNIE (which makes nanosecond-scale timing not as useful as in a large detector) and the availability of reconstruction information from the tracking muon spectrometer. We demonstrate that combining the information from these two elements into a single fit using only pattern recognition yields a muon vertex uncertainty of 60 cm, a directional uncertainty of 13.2 degrees, and energy reconstruction uncertainty of about 10% for BNB muon neutrino Charged Current Zero Pion (CC0π) events.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of the Cherenkov Photon Background for Low-noise Silicon Detectors in Space

Future space observatories that seek to perform imaging and spectroscopy of faint astronomical sources will require ultra-low-noise detectors that are sensitive over a broad wavelength range. Silicon charge-coupled devices (CCDs), such as EMCCDs, skipper CCDs, multi-amplifier sensing CCDs, and single-electron sensitive read out CCDs have demonstrated the ability to detect and measure single photons from X-ray energies to near the silicon band gap (∼1.1 μm), making them candidate technologies for this application. Here, in this context, we study a relatively unexplored source of low-energy background coming from Cherenkov radiation produced by energetic cosmic rays traversing a silicon detector. We present a model for Cherenkov photon production and absorption that is calibrated to laboratory data, and we use this model to characterize the residual background rate for ultra-low-noise silicon detectors in space. We study how the Cherenkov background rate depends on detector thickness, variations in solar activity, and the contribution of heavy cosmic ray species (Z > 2). We find that for thick silicon detectors, such as those required to achieve high quantum efficiency at long wavelengths, the rate of cosmic-ray-induced Cherenkov photon production is comparable to other detector and astrophysical backgrounds. We apply our Cherenkov background model to simulated spectroscopic observations of extra-solar planets, and we find that thick detectors continue to outperform their thinner counterparts at longer wavelengths despite a larger Cherenkov background rate. Furthermore, we find that minimal masking of cosmic-ray tracks continues to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of very faint sources despite the existence of extended halos of Cherenkov photons.

Astronomical detectors↗
NASA NTRS1987

A program to study antiprotons in the cosmic rays: Arizona collaboration

The Low Energy AntiProton (LEAP) experiment was designed to measure the primary antiproton flux in the 200 MeV to 1 GeV kinetic energy range. A superconducting magnetic spectrometer, a time-of-flight (TOF) detector, and a Cherenkov counter are the main components of LEAP. An additional scintillation detector was designed and constructed to detect the passage of particles through the bottom of the Cherenkov counter. The LEAP package was launched on August 22, 1987, and enjoyed a 27 hour flight, with 23 hours of data at high altitude. Preliminary plans for data analysis include using the Micro-Vax at the University of Arizona for data reduction of the Cherenkov and S2 signals.

Bowen, Theodore↗
DOE OSTI2020

Hadron blind Cherenkov counters

A Hadron Blind Detector, or HBD, is a novel form of Cherenkov counter that is designed to provide high efficiency for detecting highly relativistic electrons while being essentially blind to most hadrons. Herein, we present some of the most prominent realizations of the HBD concept in real experiments. We describe the first implementation of an HBD that was made in the CERES experiment at CERN using a spectrometer based on a doublet of hadron blind RICH detectors for the measurement of low-mass electron pairs in pA and AA collisions at the SPS. We next present a detailed account of a more extensive realization of the HBD that was made in the PHENIX experiment for the measurement of low-mass electron pairs in central heavy-ion collisions at RHIC, followed by a description of a very similar detector that is currently under construction at J-PARC for the measurement of vector mesons through their e + e – decay in pA collisions. We conclude with a brief discussion of possible evolutions of the HBD concept as well as possible developments and uses of HBDs in experiments at the future Electron Ion Collider.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Capacitively Coupled LAPPDs with 2D Pixelated Readout Planes for Time of Flight and Ring Imaging Cherenkov Applications

Large Area Picosecond Photon Detectors (LAPPDs) are micro-channel plate based photosensors featuring hundreds of square centimeters of sensitive area in a single package and capable of providing timing resolution on the order of 50 ps for single photon detection. However, LAPPDs currently do not exist in finely pixelated 2D readout configurations which, in addition to ighresolution timing, would also provide high spatial resolution required for Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detectors. One of the recent LAPPD models (Gen II) provides the opportunity to overcome the lack of pixellation by coupling an external readout to the sealed detector itself. The readout plane in this case is a simple printed circuit board (PCB) that can be laid out in a custom application-specific way for 1D or 2D sensitive area pixellation. This allows for a much shorter readout-plane prototyping cycle and provides unprecedented flexibility in choosing an appropriate segmentation that can be optimized for any particular detector need in terms of pad size, orientation, and shape.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cherenkov photon background for low-noise silicon detectors in space

Future space observatories dedicated to direct imaging and spectroscopy of extra-solar planets will require ultra-low-noise detectors that are sensitive over a broad range of wavelengths. Silicon charge-coupled devices (CCDs), such as EMCCDs, Skipper CCDs, and Multi-Amplifier Sensing CCDs, have demonstrated the ability to detect and measure single photons from ultra-violet to near-infrared wavelengths, making them candidate technologies for this application. In this context, we study a relatively unexplored source of low-energy background coming from Cherenkov radiation produced by energetic charged particles traversing a silicon detector. In the intense radiation environment of space, energetic cosmic rays produce high-energy tracks and more extended halos of low-energy Cherenkov photons, which are detectable with ultra-low-noise detectors. We present a model of this effect that is calibrated to laboratory data, and we use this model to characterize the residual background rate for ultra-low noise silicon detectors in space. We find that the rate of cosmic-ray-induced Cherenkov photon production is comparable to other detector and astrophysical backgrounds that have previously been considered.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the liquid argon scintillation pulse shape using differentiable simulation in the coherent CAPTAIN-Mills experiment

The coherent CAPTAIN-Mills (CCM) experiment is a liquid argon (LAr) light collection detector searching for MeV-scale neutrino and beyond Standard Model physics signatures. Two hundred eight-inch photomultiplier tubes instrument the seven-ton fiducial volume with 50% photocathode coverage to detect light produced by charged particles. CCM’s light-based approach reduces requirements of LAr purity, compared to other detection technologies, such that sub-MeV particles can be reliably detected without additional LAr filtration and with 𝒪⁡(1) parts per million of common contaminants. We present a measurement of LAr light production and propagation parameters, with uncertainties, obtained from a sample of MeV-scale electromagnetic events. The optimization of this high-dimensional parameter space was facilitated by a differentiable optical photon Monte Carlo simulation and detailed photomultiplier tube response characterization. This result accurately predicts the timing and spatial distribution of light due to scintillation and Cherenkov emission in the detector. This is the first description of photon propagation in LAr to include several effects, including anomalous dispersion of the index of refraction near the ultraviolet resonance, Mie scattering from impurities, and Cherenkov light production.

Cherenkov detectors↗
DOE OSTI2025

Geant4 Simulation of Cherenkov Photons in Perovskite CsPbBr 3 Gamma-Ray Detectors

Perovskite materials have recently attracted significant attention for hard X-ray and gamma-ray detection. Cherenkov light generated by fast electrons due to gamma-ray interaction with the material can be used to provide fast timing information. Here, in this study, we report Geant4 simulation results of Cherenkov photon generation, transport, and detection within perovskite CsPbBr3. The Cherenkov photon yield, energy spectrum and temporal distribution are investigated under different gamma-ray energy deposition within CsPbBr3. CsPbBr 3 has a similar Cherenkov photon yield as of TlBr that has demonstrated fast-timing capability based on Cherenkov light. The effect of crystal volume, surface finish and SiPM photon detection efficiency on the Cherenkov detection is also discussed. This work provides insights into Cherenkov processes of CsPbBr3.

Cherenkov photon↗
DOE OSTI2021

Inertial-confinement fusion-plasma-based cross-calibration of the deuterium-tritium γ-to-neutron branching ratio

The deuterium-tritium (D-T) γ -to-neutron branching ratio [ H 3 ( d , γ ) He 5 / H 3 ( d , n ) He 4 ] has been determined previously under inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) conditions and in beam-target based experiments. In the former case, neutron-induced backgrounds are mitigated compared to the latter due to the short pulse nature of ICF implosions and the use of gas Cherenkov γ -ray detectors. Furthermore, an added benefit of ICF based measurements is the ability to achieve lower center-of-mass energies as compared to accelerators. Previous ICF based experiments however report a large uncertainty in the D-T γ -to-neutron branching ratio of ≈ 48 % , which arises from the necessity of an absolute detector calibration and/or a cross-calibration against the D- He 3 γ -to-proton branching ratio. A more precise value for the branching ratio based on data taken at the OMEGA laser facility is reported here, which relies on a cross-calibration against the better known C 12 neutron inelastic scattering cross section. A D-T branching ratio value of ( 4.6 ± 0.6 ) × 10 - 5 is determined by this method.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

First Calorimetric Energy Reconstruction of Beam Events with ARAPUCA Light Detector in ProtoDUNE-SP

ProtoDUNE Single Phase at CERN is the large scale prototype for the far detector of the future DUNE experiment. ProtoDUNE is in stable operation since Oct. 2018 at the CERN Neutrino Platform. Test beam data in the energy range of sub-GeV to a few GeV were collected in fall 2018 providing a set of key measurements. Particles (electrons, protons, pions, muons and kaons) are identified combining information from a set of beam-line detectors (Time of Flight, Cherenkov) and TPC reconstruction. Three different technologies are implemented in the protoDUNE photon detector system (PDS). Results from the ARAPUCA response, one of the PDS components, are presented providing first calorimetric energy measurements and particle ID of beam events from LAr scintillation light signals.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Neutrino Interactions observed with Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors in ANNIE

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is a 26-ton water-based neutrino detector located at Fermilab, approximately 110 m downstream of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). ANNIE utilizes both photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and advanced photodetectors, specifically Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs), to detect Cherenkov light emitted by leptons produced in neutrino interactions within ANNIE. LAPPDs are a novel technology designed to detect photons with picosecond-level temporal resolution and sub-millimetre spatial precision. Multiple LAPPDs have been deployed in the ANNIE detector. This is the first use of this technology in a running particle physics experiment and has yielded the first detection of light from neutrino interactions in water with LAPPDs. In this poster, I will showcase the operational performance and functionality of LAPPDs in the ANNIE experiment. Neutrino beam data from the BNB is used to evaluate the timing precision, hit reconstruction performance, and beam response of deployed LAPPDs, demonstrating how this novel picosecond-resolution technology performs in a running neutrino water Cherenkov detector. This work highlights the successful integration of LAPPDs in ANNIE and provides quantitative benchmarks that inform their application in future neutrino experiments requiring high-resolution photon detection.

Aman, Mohammad Adil [Florida State U.] (ORCID:0009↗
DOE OSTI2021

Commissioning the DIRC Detector and Searching for Axion-like Particles at GlueX

This thesis centers around problems in the study of the strong nuclear force. The GlueX DIRC, a Cherenkov radiation-based detector, was proposed to upgrade the particle identification capability of the GlueX experiment, which aims to perform quantitative tests of Quantum Chromodynamics in the nonperturbative regime by searching for and studying hybrid mesons. This thesis describes the construction, commissioning, reconstruction, and calibration of the GlueX DIRC detector. Originally proposed to solve the strong CP problem, axions and axion-like particles are hypothetical pseudoscalar particles found in many proposed extensions to the Standard Model of particle physics. This thesis presents a search for photoproduction of axion-like particles using data in photon-proton interactions collected by the GlueX experiment at Jefferson Laboratory in the $\gamma\gamma$ and $\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$ final states of the axion-like particles. In addition, the Monte Carlo modeling of the strong interaction at low energies leads to challenges known as the event generator tuning problem. This thesis presents a novel approach to the Monte Carlo event generator tuning problem using Bayesian optimization.

Yang, Yunjie↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing the Cherenkov over scintillation ratio using dichroic filters in BGO and TlCl for TOF-PET

Abstract The Cherenkov emission in inorganic crystal scintillators has been shown to dramatically improve time resolution for time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) for in slow scintillators with a high refractive index such as bismuth germanium oxide (BGO). This is due to the faster nature of the Cherenkov emission (tens of picoseconds) with respect to scintillation (nanosecond). However, the presence of slower scintillation light and the inability of existing detectors to distinguish between Cherenkov and scintillation make it difficult for BGO to achieve a good CTR for all the detected coincidence events. In this paper, we exploit the difference between the Cherenkov and scintillation emission spectra and use dichroic filters to enhance the Cherenkov over scintillation ratio. Dichroic filters transmit or reflect photons based on their wavelength, with a photon attenuation lower than 10%. We investigate several shortpass and longpass dichroic filters in a single-photon configuration with BGO and find the optimal filter that maximizes the Cherenkov over scintillation ratio. We demonstrate that we can enhance the ratio of Cherenkov to scintillation photons by a factor of 2.17 ± 0.38 by employing a shortpass dichroic filter with a cut-off wavelength of 450 nm for BGO, and by a factor of 2.87 ± 0.40 using a longpass dichroic filter with a cut-on wavelength of 550 nm for iodine/beryllium-doped thallium chloride.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2022

A potential probe of Fundamental Interactions using Multi-Modal Cosmic Ray events

The Horizon-T experiment in Tien Shan is based on the idea of measuring the time at which EAS disc passes the observation level with nanosecond accuracy. The detector system consists of ten charged particles registration points located at distances of up to several hundred meters from each other. The points are equipped with detectors based on registration of Cherenkov radiation in glass and registration of scintillation light in polystyrene. The detectors register the arrival times of charged particles at the observation level with a resolution of ~2 ns, as required to study the spatial and temporal characteristics of the EAS and the structure of the multi-modal events specifically. Over the period of the Horizon-T data taking since 2017 to present, a large number of multi-modal events were detected. The data has presented numerous challenges that show the direction towards the further development of the detector system and of the analysis methods and techniques that could be applied to these multi-modal events.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The CLAS12 High Threshold Cherenkov Counter

The High Threshold Cherenkov Counter (HTCC) is one of the detector systems of the CLAS12 spectrometer, and is used to generate a fast trigger signal in electron scattering experiments in the polar angle range from 5°to 35°. The HTCC is installed in front of the drift chambers and introduces a minimal amount of additional material within the acceptance. The HTCC is one unit whose core component is a multifocal mirror that consists of 60 lightweight ellipsoidal mirrors. It is important that the HTCC provides efficient coverage of the CLAS12 forward acceptance with no gaps. In order to achieve this, each sector of the CLAS12 Forward Detector is covered by 2 identical half-sector mirrors that focus Cherenkov light on 8 phototubes. The HTCC has a total of 48 channels with Electron Tubes 9823QKB photomultipliers that have a 5-in quartz face plate to detect Cherenkov light. The system provides rejection of charged -mesons with momenta below 4.8 GeV for the reliable identification of scattered electrons. In this paper the details of the design, construction, calibration, and performance results of the HTCC are presented

Sharabian, Y. G.↗