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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,135 records · Page 63
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam

The MICROMEGAS (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) charge amplification structure has found wide use in many detection applications, especially as a gain stage for the charge readout of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs). We report on the behavior of a MICROMEGAS TPC when operated in a high-energy (up to 800 MeV) neutron beam. It is found that neutron-induced reactions can cause discharges in some drift gas mixtures that are stable in the absence of the neutron beam. The discharges result from recoil ions close to the MICROMEGAS that deposit high specific ionization density and have a limited diffusion time. And for a binary drift gas, increasing the percentage of the molecular component (quench gas) relative to the noble component and operating at lower pressures generally improves stability.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2017

A prototype detection system for atmospheric monitoring of xenon radioisotopes

The design of a radioxenon detection system utilizing a CdZeTe crystal and a plastic scintillator coupled to an array of SiPMs to conduct beta-gamma coincidence detection for atmospheric radioxenon monitoring, as well as the measurement of 135 Xe and 133/133m Xe, have been detailed previously. This paper presents recent measurements of 133/133m Xe and 131m Xe and the observation of conversion electrons in their coincidence spectra, as well as a 48-hour background measurement to calculate the Minimum Detectable Concentration (MDC) of radioxenon isotopes in the system. The identification of Regions of Interest (ROIs) in the coincidence spectra yielded from the radioxenon measurements, and the subsequent calculation of the MDCs of the system for 135 Xe, 133/133m Xe, and 131m Xe, are also discussed. Calculated MDCs show that the detection system preforms respectably when compared to other state of the art radioxenon detection systems and achieved an MDC of less than 1 mBq/m 3 for 131m Xe, 133 Xe, and 133m Xe, in accordance with limits set by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBTO). Lastly, the system also provides the advantage of room temperature operation, compactness, low noise operation and having simple readout electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Study of sub-pixel position resolution with time-correlated transient signals in 3D pixelated CdZnTe detectors with varying pixel sizes

Here, we evaluated the sub-pixel position resolution achievable in large-volume CdZnTe pixelated detectors with conventional pixel patterns and for several different pixel sizes: 2.8 mm, 1.72 mm, 1.4 mm and 0.8 mm. Achieving position resolution below the physical dimensions of pixels (sub-pixel resolution) is a practical path for making high-granularity position-sensitive detectors, <100 μμm, using a limited number of pixels dictated by the mechanical constraints and multi-channel readout electronics. High position sensitivity is important for improving the imaging capability of CZT gamma cameras. It also allows for making more accurate corrections of response non-uniformities caused by crystal defects, thus enabling use of standard-grade (unselected) and less expensive CZT crystals for producing large-volume position-sensitive CZT detectors feasible for many practical applications. We analyzed the digitized charge signals from a representative 9 pixels and the cathode, generated using a pulsed-laser light beam focused down to 10 m (650 nm) to scan over a selected 3×3 pixel area. We applied our digital pulse processing technique to the time-correlated signals captured from adjacent pixels to achieve and evaluate the capability for sub-pixel position resolution. As an example, we also demonstrated an application of 3D corrections to improve the energy resolution and positional information of the events for the tested detectors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Construction and response of a highly granular scintillator-based electromagnetic calorimeter

Here, a highly granular electromagnetic calorimeter with scintillator strip readout is being developed for future linear collider experiments. A prototype of 21.5 X 0 depth and 180 × 180 mm 2 transverse dimensions was constructed, consisting of 2160 individually read out 10 × 45 × 3 mm 3 scintillator strips. This prototype was tested using electrons of 2–32 Ge V at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility in 2009. Deviations from linear energy response were less than 1.1%, and the intrinsic energy resolution was determined to be ( 12 . 5 ± 0 . 1 ( stat. ) ± 0 . 4 ( syst. ) ) % / E [ Ge V ] ⊕ ( 1 . 2 ± 0 . 1 ( stat. ) - 0 . 7 + 0 . 6 ( syst. ) ) % , where the uncertainties correspond to statistical and systematic sources, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

The STAR MAPS-based PiXeL detector

The PiXeL detector (PXL) for the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) of the STAR experiment at RHIC is the first application of the state-of-the-art thin Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) technology in a collider environment. Here, custom built pixel sensors, their readout electronics and the detector mechanical structure are described in detail. Selected detector design aspects and production steps are presented. The detector operations during the three years of data taking (2014–2016) and the overall performance exceeding the design specifications are discussed in the conclusive sections of this work.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

The NOvA power distribution system

We describe the power distribution systems and grounding schemes built for the near and far detectors of the NOvA long-baseline neutrino experiment. They are used to power the avalanche photodiodes and their thermoelectric coolers, the front-end boards that read out, digitize and time stamp the signals from the avalanche photodiodes, and the data concentrator modules used to receive and format the data from the front-end boards before sending them to a farm of computers used to build the events. Furthermore, the system powers 344,064 readout channels in the far detector and 20,192 channels in the near detector.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

A novel use of light guides and wavelength shifting plates for the detection of scintillation photons in large liquid argon detectors

Scintillation light generated as charged particles traverse large liquid argon detectors adds valuable information to studies of weakly-interacting particles. This paper uses both laboratory measurements and cosmic ray data from the Blanche dewar facility at Fermilab to characterize the efficiency of the photon detector technology developed at Indiana University for the single phase far detector of DUNE. The efficiency of this technology was found to be 0.48% at the readout end when the detector components were characterized with laboratory measurements. A second determination of the efficiency using cosmic ray tracks is in reasonable agreement with the laboratory determination. In conclusion, the agreement of these two efficiency determinations supports the result that minimum ionizing muons generate ${\mathcal N}_{phot} = 40,000$ photons/MeV as they cross the LAr volume.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Signals from fluorescent materials on the surface of silicon micro-strip sensors

For the High-Luminosity Upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the ATLAS Inner Detector will be replaced with a new, all-silicon tracker (ITk). In order to minimise the amount of material in the ITk, circuit boards with readout electronics will be glued onto the active area of the sensor. Several adhesives, investigated to be used for the construction of detector modules, were found to become fluorescent when exposed to UV light. These adhesives could become a light source in the high-radiation environment of the ATLAS detector. The effect of fluorescent material covering the sensor surface in a high-radiation environment has been studied for a silicon micro-strip sensor using a micro-focused X-ray beam. By positioning the beam parallel to the sensor surface and pointing it both inside the sensor and above the sensor surface inside the deposited glue, the sensor responses from direct hits and fluorescence can be compared with high precision. This contribution presents a setup to study the susceptibility of silicon strip sensors to light contamination from fluorescent materials and shows their impact on the noise and fake signal rate of a sensor operated in a high-radiation environment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Development of an array of liquid-scintillator-based bar detectors: SABRE

We present that an array of neutron detectors based on liquid scintillator technology has been developed for nuclear reaction studies, in particular measurements with radioactive ion beams (RIBs). Reaction measurements with RIBs often involve low reaction yields and high gamma-induced backgrounds, which requires high solid angle coverage, high efficiency, and background reduction capability. The kinematics of the reaction neutrons require energy and position determination with good resolution, but preferably without a large number of readouts to minimize cost. To address these requirements, the Scintillation Array of Bars for Reaction Experiments (SABRE) consists of five 12” long, 2” diameter bar detectors filled with organic liquid scintillator and capped at both ends with individually read-out superbialkali photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). Finally, in-house purification of the scintillator mixtures resulted in improved light collection. Discussion of the liquid scintillator development and the design and commissioning of SABRE will be presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Design and test of the Mu2e undoped CsI+SiPM crystal calorimeter

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will search for the charged-lepton flavour violating neutrino-less conversion of a negative muoninto an electron in the field of an aluminum nucleus. The calorimeter plays an important role in providing a fast trigger filter,excellent particle identification and a seeding for track reconstruction. Its requirements are to provide an energy (timing) resolutionbetter than 10% (0.5 ns) and a position resolution below 1 cm, for 100 MeV electrons. The calorimeter consists of two disks, eachone made of 674 un-doped CsI crystals readout by two large area arrays of 23 UV-extended SiPMs of 66 mm2dimensions.A large scale prototype (Module-0) has been constructed and tested with an electron beam in the energy range between 60 and 120MeV at the BTF of Frascati National Laboratories. Results demonstrated that this calorimeter satisfies the Mu2e requirements.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Commissioning of the LaBr 3 (Ce) detector array at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

The timing and energy resolution properties of LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillators are well suited for use in γγ fast-timing experiments. Here, using standard 60 Co, 88 Y, and 152 Eu sources, the 16-element array of 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch right-cylindrical LaBr 3 (Ce) detectors and the associated readout electronics at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory were commissioned by measuring the lifetimes of excited states and the angular correlations of γ rays emitted in cascade. Excited-state lifetimes in 152 Sm and 152 Gd were measured using the exponential slope of the decay and a method based on the centroids of time-difference spectra. Results for the lifetimes are consistent with the well-known literature values which cover a range from a few picoseconds to several nanoseconds. Finally, the γγ angular correlations for the 4 + → 2 + → 0 + cascade in 60 Ni and the 3 - → 2 + → 0 + cascade in 88 Sr were measured and shown to agree with GEANT4 simulations that take into account the expected angular correlations within the cascades as well as the geometry of the array.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

The electronics of the energy plane of the NEXT-White detector

This paper describes the electronics of NEXT-White (NEW) detector PMT plane, a high pressure xenon TPC with electroluminescent amplification (HPXe-EL) currently operating at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC) in Huesca, Spain. In NEXT-White the energy of the event is measured by a plane of photomultipliers (PMTs) located behind a transparent cathode. The PMTs are Hamamatsu R11410-10 chosen due to their low radioactivity. The electronics have been designed and implemented to fulfill strict requirements: an overall energy resolution below 1% and a radiopurity budget of 20 mBq unit -1 in the chain of 214 Bi . All the components and materials have been carefully screened to assure a low radioactivity level and at the same time meet the required front-end electronics specifications. In order to reduce low frequency noise effects and enhance detector safety a grounded cathode connection has been used for the PMTs. This implies an AC-coupled readout and baseline variations in the PMT signals. A detailed description of the electronics and a novel approach based on a digital baseline restoration to obtain a linear response and handle AC coupling effects is presented. The final PMT channel design has been characterized with linearity better than 0.4% and noise below 0.4 mV.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

Large Area Picosecond Photodetector (LAPPD TM ) - Pilot production and development status

Here, we discuss performance results achieved for fully functional sealed Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPD (TM)) in tests performed at Incom Inc., as well as independent test results reported by our early adopters. The LAPPD is a microchannel plate (MCP) based large area picosecond photodetector, capable of imaging with single-photon sensitivity at high spatial and temporal resolutions in a hermetic package. The LAPPD has an active area of 350 square centimeters in an all-glass hermetic package with a fused silica window and bottom plate and sidewalls made of borosilicate float glass. Signals are generated by a bi-alkali Na 2 KSb photocathode and amplified with a stacked chevron pair of MCPs produced by applying resistive and emissive atomic layer deposition coatings to glass capillary array (GCA) substrates. Signals are collected on RF stripline anodes applied to the bottom plates which exit the detector via pin-free hermetic seals under the side walls. LAPPD test and performance results for product produced and delivered to early adopter customers during the first half of 2018 are reviewed. These results include electron gains ≥ 7.5 x 10 6 @ 850/950 V (entry/exit MCP), low dark noise rates (22 Cts/s/cm 2 ), single photoelectron (PE) timing resolution of 64 picoseconds RMS, and single photoelectron spatial resolution along and across strips of 2.8 mm and 1.3 mm RMS respectively. Many of these devices also had very high QE photocathodes that were uniform over the full 195 mm x 195 mm window active area (LAPPD #15 QE% @ 365 nm Max/Avg/Min = 25.8/22.3 ± 3/15.7). An update is additionally provided of developments that enable capacitive signal coupling from the detector to application specific pads or stripline readout patterns deployed on printed circuit boards positioned beneath the file, outside of the vacuum package. We conclude with examples of how sensors offering picosecond timing, in diverse applications can bring transformative change to detector technology and applications in future experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2019

Development of a neutron spectrometer utilizing rubberized Eu:LiCAF wafers

A portable ten-layer neutron spectrometer has been developed using a novel material, LiCAF. The spectrometer consists of rubber matrix wafers with embedded europium doped lithium calcium aluminum uoride (Eu:LiCAF) crystals and crosshatched wave shifting fibers (WSF). Layers of high density polyethylene (HDPE) separating each Eu:LiCAF wafer serve as neutron moderating material. Neutrons entering the spec- trometer react in the Eu:LiCAF crystal, creating scintillation photons. The photons travel down the WSFs to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) that convert the photons to an electrical signal. Custom electronics are used to gather, amplify, process, and readout the signal. A library of several neutron response curves was created in Geant4 and MCNP. The experimental output of the spectrometer was unfolded using a maximum entropy algorithm, MAXED. The spectrometer was tested using two separate DD generators. These two tests resulted in unfolded neutron spectra with average neutron energies of 2.71 and 2.78 MeV and chi-squared values of 0.88 and 1.51 χ 2 /D.O.F. respectively, when fit to a 2.45 MeV monoenergetic energy spectrum.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Application of deconvolution to recover frequency-domain multiplexed detector pulses

Multiplexing of radiation detectors reduces the number of readout channels, which in turn reduces the number of digitizer input channels for data acquisition. We recently demonstrated frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) of pulse mode radiation detectors using a resonator that converts the detector signal into a damped sinusoid by convolution. The detectors were given unique “tags” by the oscillation frequency of each resonator. The charge collected and the time-of-arrival of the detector pulse were estimated from the corresponding resonator output in the frequency domain. In this paper, we demonstrate a new method to recover the detector pulse from the damped sinusoidal output by deconvolution. Deconvolution converts the frequency-encoded detector signal back to the original detector pulse. We have developed a new prototype FDM system to multiplex organic scintillators based on convolution and deconvolution. Using the new prototype, the charge collected under the anode pulse can be estimated from the recovered pulse with an uncertainty of about 4.4 keVee (keV electron equivalent). The time-of-arrival can be estimated from the recovered pulse with an uncertainty of about 102 ps. We also used a CeBr3 inorganic scintillator to measure the Cs-137 gamma spectrum using the recovered pulses and found a standard deviation of 13.8 keV at 662 keV compared to a standard deviation of 13.5 keV when the original pulses were used. Coincidence measurements with Na-22 using the deconvolved pulses resulted in a timing uncertainty of 617 ps compared to an uncertainty of 603 ps using the original pulses. Pulse shape discrimination was also performed using Cf-252 source and EJ-309 organic scintillator pulses recovered by deconvolution. In conclusion, a figure of merit value of 1.08 was observed when the recovered pulses were used compared to 1.2 for the original pulses.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2020

Timing and synchronization of the DUNE neutrino detector

The DUNE neutrino experiment far detector has a fiducial mass of 40 kt. The O(1 M) readout channels are distributed over the 4 x 10kt modules and need to be synchronized to O(10 ns) with a reliable, simple, affordable system. For the majority of channels a simple DC-balanced protocol is used, with clock and synchronization information encoded on the same fibre. The remaining channels use “White Rabbit” (IEEE-1588). Small scale tests show a timing jitter of <100 ps. The DUNE timing system has been successfully prototyped at the ProtoDUNE-SP detector at CERN.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

GADGET: a Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging

The Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) is a new detection system devoted to the measurement of weak, low-energy β-delayed proton decays relevant for nuclear astrophysics studies. It is comprised of a new gaseous Proton Detector equipped with a Micromegas readout for charged particle detection, surrounded by the existing Segmented Germanium Array (SeGA) for the high-resolution detection of the prompt γ-rays. Here in this work we describe in detail for the first time the design, construction, and operation of the GADGET system, including performance of the Proton Detector. We present the results of a recent commissioning experiment performed with 25 Si beam at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL). GADGET provided low-background, low-energy β-delayed proton detection with efficiency above 95%, and relatively good efficiency for proton-gamma coincidences (2.7% at 1.37 MeV).

β-delayed proton emission↗