Performance of the Two Aerogel Cherenkov Detectors of the JLab Hall A Hadron Spectrometer
S. Marrone, B. B. Wojtsekhowski, A. Acha, E. Cisbani, M. Coman, F. Cusanno, C. W. de Jager, R. De Leo, H. Gao, F. Garibaldi, D. W. Higinbotham, M. Iodice, J. J.… 展开作者
S. Marrone, B. B. Wojtsekhowski, A. Acha, E. Cisbani, M. Coman, F. Cusanno, C. W. de Jager, R. De Leo, H. Gao, F. Garibaldi, D. W. Higinbotham, M. Iodice, J. J. LeRose, D. Macchia, P. Markowitz, E. Nappia, F. Palmisano, G. M. Urciuoli, I. van der Werf, H. Xiang, L. Y. Zhu
We report on the design and commissioning of two silica aerogel Cherenkov detectors with different refractive indices. In particular, extraordinary performance in terms of the number of detected photoelectrons was achieved through an appropriate choice of PMT type and reflector, along with some design considerations. After four years of operation, the number of detected photoelectrons was found to be noticeably reduced in both detectors as a result of contamination, yellowing, of the aerogel material. Along with the details of the set-up, we illustrate the characteristics of the detectors during different time periods and the probable causes of the contamination. In particular we show that the replacement of the contaminated aerogel and parts of the reflecting material has almost restored the initial performance of the detectors.
In this paper, we present recent progress in the development of hydrophobic silica aerogel as a Cherenkov radiator. In addition to the conventional method, the recently developed pin-drying method for producing high-refractive-index aerogels with high transparency was studied in detail. Optical qualities and large tile handling for crack-free aerogels were investigated. Sufficient photons were detected from high-performance aerogels in a beam test.
We present optical and X-ray radiographical characterization of silica aerogels with refractive index from 1.05 to 1.07 for a Cherenkov radiator. A novel pin-drying method enables us to produce highly transparent hydrophobic aerogels with high refractive index by shrinking wet-gels. In order to investigate the uniformity in the density (i.e., refractive index) of an individual aerogel monolith, we use the laser Fraunhofer method, an X-ray absorption technique, and Cherenkov imaging by a ring imaging Cherenkov detector in a beam test. We observed an increase in density at the edge of the aeroge…
This study presents the development of large-area (18 $\times $ 18 $\times $ 2 cm$^3$), high refractive index ($n \sim $1.05) hydrophobic silica aerogel tiles for use as Cherenkov radiators. These transparent aerogel tiles will be installed in a Cherenkov detector for the next-generation accelerator-based particle physics experiment Belle II, to be performed at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Japan. Cracking has been eliminated from the prototype aerogel tiles by improving the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO$_2$) extraction procedure when drying the wet gel tiles.…
We describe a novel photon detector which operates under an intense flux of neutrons. It is composed of lead-aerogel sandwich counter modules. Its salient features are high photon detection efficiency and blindness to neutrons. As a result of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, the efficiency for photons with the energy larger than 1 GeV is expected to be higher than 99.5% and that for 2 GeV/$c$ neutrons less than 1%. The performance on the photon detection under such a large flux of neutrons was measured for a part of the detector. It was confirmed that the efficiency to photons with the energy $>$…
We have designed a threshold Cherenkov detector at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory to identify muons with momenta between 230 and 350 MeV/c. We investigated the properties of three aerogels for the design. The nominal indexes of refraction were n = 1.03, 1.07, 1.12, respectively. Two of the samples are of high density aerogel not commonly used for Cherenkov light detection. We present results of an examination of some optical properties of the aerogel samples and present basic test beam results.
This study presents the development of hydrophobic silica aerogel for use as a radiator in threshold-type Cherenkov counters. These counters are to be used for separating positrons and positive muons produced by kaon decay in the J-PARC TREK/E36 experiment. We chose to employ aerogel with a refractive index of 1.08 to identify charged particles with momenta of approximately 240 MeV/$c$, and the radiator block shape was designed with a trapezoidal cross-section to fit the barrel region surrounding the kaon stopping target in the center of the TREK/E36 detector system. Including spares, we obtai…
We describe a new aerogel threshold Cherenkov detector installed in the HMS spectrometer in Hall C at Jefferson Lab. The Hall C experimental program in 2003 required an improved particle identification system for better identification of pi/K/P, which was achieved by installing an additional threshold Cherenkov counter. Two types of aerogel with n=1.03 and n=1.015 allow one to reach 10^{-3} proton and 10^{-2} kaon rejection in the 1-5 GeV/c momentum range with pion detection efficiency better than 99% (97%). The detector response shows no significant position dependence due to a diffuse light …
This paper reports the successful fabrication of silica aerogel Cherenkov radiators produced in the first batches from a 96-tile mass production performed using pin-drying technique in our laboratory. The aerogels are to be used in a ring-imaging Cherenkov detector in the spectrometer of a planned balloon-borne cosmic-ray observation program, HELIX (High Energy Light Isotope eXperiment). A total of 36 transparent, hydrophobic aerogel tiles with a high refractive index of 1.16 and dimensions of 10 cm $\times $ 10 cm $\times $ 1 cm will be chosen as the flight radiators. Thus far, 40 out of the …
We have succeeded in developing hydrophobic silica aerogels over a wide range of densities (i.e. refractive indices). A pinhole drying method was invented to make possible producing highly transparent aerogels with entirely new region of refractive indices of 1.06-1.26. Obtained aerogels are more transparent than conventional ones, and the refractive index is well controlled in the pinhole drying process. A test beam experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the performance of the pinhole-dried aerogels as a Cherenkov radiator. A clear Cherenkov ring was successfully observed by a ring i…
We have developed a new type of particle identification device, called an Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter, for the Belle II experiment. It uses silica aerogel tiles as Cherenkov radiators. For detection of Cherenkov photons, Hybrid Avalanche Photo-Detectors (HAPDs) are used. The designed HAPD has a high sensitivity to single photons under a strong magnetic field. We have confirmed that the HAPD provides high efficiency for single-photon detection even after exposure to neutron and gamma-ray radiation that exceeds the levels expected in the 10-year Belle II operation. In order to…
The Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter serves as a particle identification device in the forward end-cap region of the Belle II spectrometer. It is capable of identifying pions and kaons with momenta up to $4 \, {\rm GeV}/c$ by detecting Cherenkov photons emitted in the silica aerogel radiator. After the detector alignment and calibration of the probability density function, we evaluate the performance of the ARICH counter using early beam collision data. Event samples of $D^{\ast +} \to D^0 π^+ (D^0 \to K^-π^+)$ were used to determine the $π(K)$ efficiency and the $K(π)$ misidenti…
A proximity focusing ring imaging Cherenkov detector, with the radiator consisting of two or more aerogel layers of different refractive indices, has been tested in 1-4 GeV/c pion beams at KEK. Essentially, a multiple refractive index aerogel radiator allows for an increase in Cherenkov photon yield on account of the increase in overall radiator thickness, while avoiding the simultaneous degradation in single photon angular resolution associated with the increased uncertainty of the emission point. With the refractive index of consecutive layers suitably increasing in the downstream direction,…
On peculiarities of the annealing process for highly transparent silica-based aerogel tiles manufactured in Novosibirsk
Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics（布德克尔核物理研究所）；Novosibirsk State Technical University（新西伯利亚国立技术大学）；Boreskov Institute of Catalysis（博列斯科夫催化研究所）；Novosibirsk State University（新西伯利亚国立大学）
This paper presents recent progress in the development and mass production of large-area hydrophobic silica aerogels for use as radiators in the aerogel-based ring-imaging Cherenkov (A-RICH) counter, which will be installed in the forward end cap of the Belle II detector. The proximity-focusing A-RICH system is especially designed to identify charged kaons and pions. The refractive index of the installed aerogel Cherenkov radiators is approximately 1.05, and we aim for a separation capability exceeding 4$σ$ at momenta up to 4 GeV/$c$. Large-area aerogel tiles (over 18 $\times $ 18 $\times $ 2 …
The use of a nonhomogeneous aerogel radiator, i.e. one consisting of layers with different refractive indices, has been shown to improve the resolution of the Cherenkov angle measured with a proximity focusing RICH detector. In order to obtain further information on the performance of such a detector, a simple model has been used to calculate the resolution and search for optimal radiator parameters.
Hadronic reactions producing strange quarks such as exclusive or semi-inclusive kaon production, play an important role in studies of hadron structure and the dynamics that bind the most basic elements of nuclear physics. The small-angle capability of the new Super High Momentum Spectrometer (SHMS) in Hall C, coupled with its high momentum reach - up to the anticipated 11-GeV beam energy in Hall C - and coincidence capability with the well-understood High Momentum Spectrometer, will allow for probes of such hadron structure involving strangeness down to the smallest distance scales to date. To…
A proximity focusing ring imaging Cherenkov detector using aerogel as the radiator has been studied for an upgrade of the Belle detector at the KEK-B-factory. We constructed a prototype Cherenkov counter using a 4 x 4 array of 64-channel flat-panel multi-anode PMTs (Hamamatsu H8500) with a large effective area. The aerogel samples were made with a new technique to obtain a higher transmission length at a high refractive index (n=1.05). Multi-channel PMTs are read-out with analog memory chips. The detector was tested at the KEK-PS pi2 beam line in November, 2002. To evaluate systematically the …
A new particle identification device for Jlab 12 GeV program is proposed. It is based on the measurement of time information obtained by means of a new photon detector and time measuring concept. The expected time measurement precision for the Cherenkov time-of-flight detector is about or less than 10 picosecond for Cherenkov radiators with lengths less than 50 cm.
Particle identification at the Belle II experiment will be provided by two ring imaging Cherenkov devices, the time of propagation counters in the central region and the proximity focusing RICH with aerogel radiator in the forward end-cap region. The key features of these two detectors, the performance studies, and the construction progress is presented.
Beam test studies for a SiPM-based RICH detector prototype for the future ALICE~3 experiment
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Bari（意大利国家核物理研究所巴里分部）；Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università e del Politecnico di Bari（巴里大学与理工大学物理系）；CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research（欧洲核子研究中心）；Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México（墨西哥国立自治大学核科学研究所）
The solenoidal large intensity device (SoLID) at Jefferson Lab will push the boundaries of luminosity for a large-acceptance detector, which necessitates the use of a light-gas threshold Cherenkov counter for online event selection. Due to the high luminosity, the single-photon background rate in this counter can exceed 160 kHz/cm$^2$ at the photosensors. Therefore, it is essential to validate the high-rate limits of the planned photosensors and readout electronics in order to mitigate the risk of failure. We report on the design and an early set of studies carried out using a small telescopic…
Simulation Study for Particle Identification with the dRICH of the ePIC Experiment at the EIC
INFN Sezione di Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究所的里雅斯特分部）；University of Trieste（的里雅斯特大学）；INFN Sezione di Ferrara（意大利国家核物理研究所费拉拉分部）；INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Gruppo Collegato di Cosenza（意大利国家核物理研究所弗拉斯卡蒂实验室科森扎协作组）；University of Cosenza（科森扎大学）；University of Salerno（萨莱诺大学）；INFN Sezione di Napoli, Gruppo Collegato di Salerno（意大利国家核物理研究所那不勒斯分部萨莱诺协作组）；INFN Sezione di Genova（意大利国家核物理研究所热那亚分部）；INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud（意大利国家核物理研究所南部实验室）；Brookheav National Laboratory（布鲁克海文国家实验室）；Ramaiah University（拉马西亚大学）；Duke University（杜克大学）
A large area ring-imaging Cherenkov detector has been designed to provide clean hadron identification capability in the momentum range from 3 GeV/c up to 8 GeV/c for the CLAS12 experiments at the upgraded 12 GeV continuous electron beam accelerator facility of Jefferson Laboratory. The adopted solution foresees a novel hybrid optics design based on aerogel radiator, composite mirrors and high-packed and high-segmented photon detectors. Cherenkov light will either be imaged directly (forward tracks) or after two mirror reflections (large angle tracks). We report here the results of the tests of…
