u-RANIA: a neutron detector based on μ-RWELL technology
I. Balossino, G. Bencivenni, P. Bielowka, G. Cibinetto, R. Farinelli, G. Felici, I. Garzia, M. Gatta, P. Giacomelli, M. Giovannetti, R. Hall Wilton, C. -C. Lai,… 展开作者
I. Balossino, G. Bencivenni, P. Bielowka, G. Cibinetto, R. Farinelli, G. Felici, I. Garzia, M. Gatta, P. Giacomelli, M. Giovannetti, R. Hall Wilton, C. -C. Lai, L. Lavezzi, F. Messi, G. Mezzadri, G. Morello, M. Pinamonti, M. Poli Lener, L. Robinson, M. Scodeggio, P. -O. Svensson
备注：
Prepared for the INSTR20 Conference Proceeding for JINST
In the framework of the ATTRACT-uRANIA project, funded by the European Community, we are developing an innovative neutron imaging detector based on micro-Resistive WELL ($μ$ -RWELL) technology. The $μ$ -RWELL, based on the resistive detector concept, ensuring an efficient spark quenching mechanism, is a highly reliable device. It is composed by two main elements: a readout-PCB and a cathode. The amplification stage for this device is embedded in the readout board through a resistive layer realized by means of an industrial process with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon). A thin layer of B$_4$C on the copper surface of the cathode allows the thermal neutrons detection through the release of $^7$Li and $α$ particles in the active volume. This technology has been developed to be an efficient and convenient alternative to the $^3$He shortage. The goal of the project is to prove the feasibility of such a novel neutron detector by developing and testing small planar prototypes with readout boards suitably segmented with strip or pad read out, equipped with existing electronics or readout in current mode. Preliminary results from the test with different prototypes, showing a good agreement with the simulation, will be presented together with construction details of the prototypes and the future steps of the project.
Timing performance of large prototype based on $\upmu$RWELL- PICOSEC detector technology with $10 \times 10\ \mathrm{cm}^{2}$ active area
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)（欧洲核子研究中心）；Aristotle University of Thessaloniki（塞萨洛尼基亚里士多德大学）；Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH)（跨学科研究与创新中心）；Institut de Recherche sur les lois Fondamentales de l’Univers (IRFU, CEA)（基础定律宇宙研究所）；Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich（慕尼黑路德维希-马克西米利安大学）
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A monolithic pixel sensor in deep-submicron Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) CMOS technology has been designed, manufactured and characterised. This technology is of significant interest for applications in particle tracking and imaging. The prototype chip features pixels of 10 micron pitch arrayed in two analog sections and one digital section with a comparator and a latch integrated in each pixel. The prototype response has been tested with infrared lasers and with the 1.35 GeV electron beam extracted from the injection booster at the LBNL Advanced Light Source. Results from irradiation tests with…
Resistive plate chambers (RPC) lined with $^{10}B_{4}$C neutron converters is a promising cost effective technology for position-sensitive thermal neutron detection capable to outperform $^{3}$He-based detectors in terms of spatial resolution and timing. However, as for the other types of gaseous detectors with a single layer of $^{10}B_{4}$C at normal beam incidence, the detection efficiency to thermal neutrons of a single-gap $^{10}B$-RPC is only about 6%. Aiming to overcome this limitation, we introduce a multi-layer $^{10}B$-RPCs detector with a stack of ten double-gap hybrid RPCs. A descr…
Currently, many detector technologies for thermal neutron detection are in development in order to lower the demand for the rare 3He gas. Gas detectors with solid thin film neutron converters readout by gas proportional counter method have been proposed as an appropriate choice for applications where large area coverage is necessary. In this paper, we investigate the probability for gamma-rays to generate a false count in a neutron measurement. Simulated results are compared to measurement with a 10B thin film prototype and a 3He detector. It is demonstrated that equal gamma-ray rejection to t…
Absolute measurements of neutron flux are an essential prerequisite of neutron-induced cross section measurements, neutron beam lines characterization and dosimetric investigations. A new gaseous detector has been developed for measurements of 0.2 to 2 MeV neutron flux based on proton-recoil process. The detector, consisting of two segmented ionization chambers read by Micromegas technology, has beed conceived to provide quasi-absolute neutron flux measurements with an accuracy of \simeq3%. The gas pressure flexibility makes the telescope non sensitive to γ and electrons background, and theref…
Thermoluminescence detectors (TLD) were used for dose measurements at JET. Several hundreds of LiF detectors of various types, standard LiF:Mg,Ti and highly sensitive LiF:Mg,Cu,P were produced. LiF detectors consisting of natural lithium are sensitive to slow neutrons, their response to neutrons being enhanced by 6Li-enriched lithium or suppressed by using lithium consisting entirely of 7Li. Pairs of 6LiF/7LiF detectors allow distinguishing between neutron/non-neutron components of a radiation field. For detection of neutrons of higher energy, polyethylene (PE-300) moderators were used. TLDs, …
The Multi-Blade is a Boron-10-based neutron detector designed for neutron reflectometers and developed for the two instruments (Estia and FREIA) planned for the European Spallation Source in Sweden. A reflectometry demonstrator has been installed at the AMOR reflectometer at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI - Switzerland). The setup exploits the Selene guide concept and it can be considered a scaled-down demonstrator of Estia. The results of these tests are discussed. It will be shown how the characteristics of the Multi-Blade detector are features that allow the focusing reflectometry operatio…
The European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden will become the world's leading neutron source for the study of materials. The instruments are being selected from conceptual proposals submitted by groups from around Europe. These instruments present numerous challenges for detector technology in the absence of the availability of Helium-3, which is the default choice for detectors for instruments built until today and due to the extreme rates expected across the ESS instrument suite. Additionally a new generation of source requires a new generation of detector technologies to fully exploi…
The European Spallation Source (ESS) is the world's next generation spallation-based neutron source. The research conducted at ESS will yield in the discovery and development of new materials including the fields of manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, engines, plastics, energy, telecommunications, transportation, information technology and biotechnology. The spallation source will deliver an unprecedented neutron flux. In particular, the reflectometers selected for construction, ESTIA and FREIA, have to fulfill challenging requirements. Local incident peak rate can reach 10$^5$~Hz/mm$^2…
The 3He-based neutron detectors are no longer the default solution for neutron scattering applications. Both the inability of fulfilling the requirements in performance, needed for the new instruments, and the shortage of 3He, drove a series of research programs aiming to find new technologies for neutron detection. The characteristics of the new detector technologies have been extensively tested to prove their effectiveness with respect to the state-of-the-art technology. Among these, the background rejection capability is crucial to determine. The signal-to-background ratio is strongly relat…
Neutrons are a particularly dangerous background for direct WIMP dark matter searches; their nuclear recoils with the target nucleus are often indistinguishable from nuclear recoils produced by WIMP-nuclear collisions. In this study, we explore the concept of a liquid scintillator neutron veto detector that would allow direct dark matter detectors to potentially reject neutrons with greater than 99% efficiency. Here we outline the construction and testing of a small prototype detector and the potential implications of this technology for future dark matter detectors.
Charge collection properties of depleted CMOS pixel detector prototypes produced on p-type substrate of 2 k$Ω$cm initial resistivity (by LFoundry 150 nm process) were studied using Edge-TCT method before and after neutron irradiation. The test structures were produced for investigation of CMOS technology in tracking detectors for experiments at HL-LHC upgrade. Measurements were made with passive detector structures in which current pulses induced on charge collecting electrodes could be directly observed. Thickness of depleted layer was estimated and studied as function of neutron irradiation …
A prototype neutron detector has been created through modification to a commercial non-volatile flash memory device. Studies are being performed to modify this prototype into a purpose-built device with greater performance and functionality. This paper describes a demonstration of this technology using a thermal neutron beam produced by a TRIGA research reactor. With a 4x4 array of 16 prototype devices, the full widths of the beam dimensions at half maximum are measured to be 2.2x2.1 cm2.
A long-standing limitation of semiconductor neutron detectors is the lack of a scalable solution to make large area instruments. Neutron detectors are used in a wide range of applications, including the nuclear industry, safeguarding radioactive material, neutron imaging, non-destructive testing, understanding space weather effects on commercial electronics used in aviation, and for fundamental science such as nuclear and particle physics. Here we demonstrate that a solution processed organic semiconductor technology, which is scalable, can solve this aproblem. We have demonstrated detection o…
Depleted monolithic CMOS active pixel sensors (DMAPS) have been developed in order to demonstrate their suitability as pixel detectors in the outer layers of a toroidal LHC apparatus inner tracker (ATLAS ITk) pixel detector in the high-luminosity large hadron collider (HL-LHC). Two prototypes have been fabricated using 150 nm CMOS technology on high resistivity (> 2 k$Ω$ $cm^2$) wafers. The chip size is equivalent to that of the current ATLAS pixel detector readout chip. One of the prototypes is used for detailed characterization of the sensor and the analog readout of the DMAPS. The other is …
The SoLid experiment aims to resolve the reactor anti neutrino anomaly by searching for short baseline neutrino oscillations. The experiment makes use of a novel detector technology based on the combination of 5cm x 5cm x 5cm PVT cubes and 6 LiF:ZnS screens. This technology provides an improvement for the background rejection capabilities, the neutron identification and the localization of the inverse beta decay compared to the standard liquid scintillators + Gd detectors. These proceedings discuss the construction and commissioning of the first module installed at the BR2 research reactor in …
Reactivity measurement is an essential part of a zero-power physics test, which is critical to reactor design and development. The rod drop experimental technique is used to measure the control rod worth in a zero-power physics test. The conventional rod drop experimental technique is limited by the spatial effect and the difference between the calculated static reactivity and measured dynamic reactivity; thus, the method must be improved. In this study, a modified rod drop experimental technique that constrains the detector neutron flux shape function based on three-dimensional space-time dyn…
Detection of neutrons is becoming of the utmost importance, especially in the studies of radioactive waste and in homeland security applications. The crisis of 3He availability has required the development of innovative techniques. One solution is to develop light gas detectors for neutron counting to be used as portals for ports and airports. The neutron is converted on the Boron-coated cathode, releasing a charged particle, whose passage can be identified by the gas detector. While several technologies have been deployed in the past, the project μRANIA-V ( μRwell Advanced Neutron Identificat…
Neutron scattering techniques offer a unique combination of structural and the dynamic information of atomic and molecular systems over a wide range of distances and times. The increasing complexity in science investigations driven by technological advances is reflected in the studies of neutron scattering science, which enforces a diversification and an improvement of experimental tools, from the instrument design to the detector performance. It calls as well for more advanced data analysis and modelling. The improvements in resolution, count rate and signal-to-background ratio, achievable wi…
The Muon ATLAS Micromegas Activity (MAMMA) focuses on the development and testing of large-area muon detectors based on the bulk-Micromegas technology. These detectors are candidates for the upgrade of the ATLAS Muon System in view of the luminosity upgrade of Large Hadron Collider at CERN (sLHC). They will combine trigger and precision measurement capability in a single device. A novel protection scheme using resistive strips above the readout electrode has been developed. The response and sparking properties of resistive Micromegas detectors were successfully tested in a mixed (neutron and g…
Thin Film technology has widespread applications in everyday electronics, notably Liquid Crystal Display screens, solar cells, and organic light emitting diodes. We explore the potential of this technology as charged particle radiation tracking detectors for use in High Energy Physics experiments such as those at the Large Hadron Collider or the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Through modern fabrication techniques, a host of semiconductor materials are available to construct thin, flexible detectors with integrated electronics with pixel sizes on the order of a few microns. We review the mate…
We present the current status of our project of developing a photon counting detector for medical imaging. An example motivation lays in producing a monitoring and dosimetry device for boron neutron capture therapy, currently not commercially available. Our approach combines in-house developed detectors based on cadmium telluride or thick silicon with readout chip technology developed for particle physics experiments at CERN. Here we describe the manufacturing process of our sensors as well as the processing steps for the assembly of first prototypes. The prototypes use currently the PSI46digV…
The present supply of 3He can no longer meet the detector demands of the upcoming ESS facility and continued detector upgrades at current neutron sources. Therefore viable alternative technologies are required to support the development of cutting-edge instrumentation for neutron scattering science. In this context, 10B-based detectors are being developed by collaboration between the ESS, ILL, and Linköping University. This paper reports on progress of this technology and the prospects applying it in modern neutron scattering experiments. The detector is made-up of multiple rectangular gas cou…
The R&D mission of the Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is described in detail. ANNIE is: (1) an important measurement of neutrino-nucleus interactions focusing specifically on neutron production, and (2) an R&D effort focused on using new photodetector technology and chemical additives to make advanced water-base neutrino detectors. The ANNIE experiment consists of a small Water Cherenkov detector, instrumented with both conventional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPDs) deployed on the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab…
Large size detectors based on Cs2LiYCl6:Ce (CLYC) are capable of performing a combined $γ$-ray and neutron spectrometry and constitute a promising technology for a wide range of applications in nuclear and high energy physics. Due to their novelty, the comprehensive characterization of the performance of individual CLYC detectors is of great importance for determining their range of applicability. In this work we report on a wide series measurements performed with a commercial 2"x2" CLYC crystal. Good energy and timing resolution values of 4.7% (@ 662 keV) and 1340 ps (FWHM), respectively, wer…
We present the development of the miniTimeCube (mTC), a novel compact neutrino detector. The mTC is a multipurpose detector, aiming to detect not only neutrinos but also fast/thermal neutrons. Potential applications include the counterproliferation of nuclear materials and the investigation of antineutrino short-baseline effects. The mTC is a plastic 0.2% $^{10}$B - doped scintillator (13 cm)$^3$ cube surrounded by 24 Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) photon detectors, each with an $8\times8$ anode totaling 1536 individual channels/pixels viewing the scintillator. It uses custom-made electronics modul…
An ultra thin silicon detector called U3DTHIN has been designed and built for neutral particle analyzers (NPA) and thermal neutron detection. The main purpose of this detector is to provide a state-of-the-art solution for detector system of NPAs for the ITER experimental reactor and to be used in combination with a Boron conversion layer for the detection of thermal neutrons. Currently the NPAs are using very thin scintillator - photomultiplier tube, and their main drawbacks are poor energy resolution, intrinsic scintillation nonlinearity, relative low count rate capability and finally poor si…
In the last two decades we have assisted to a rush towards finding a He3-replacing technology capable of detecting neutrons emitted from fissile isotopes. The demand stems from applications like nuclear war-head screening or preventing illicit traffic of radiological materials. Semiconductor detectors stand among the stronger contenders, particularly those based on materials possessing a wide band gap like silicon carbide. We review the workings of SiC-based neutron detectors, along with several issues related to material properties, device fabrication and testing. The paper summarizes the exp…
Monolithic active pixel sensors produced in High Voltage CMOS (HV-CMOS) technology are being considered for High Energy Physics applications due to the ease of production and the reduced costs. Such technology is especially appealing when large areas to be covered and material budget are concerned. This is the case of the outermost pixel layers of the future ATLAS tracking detector for the HL-LHC. For experiments at hadron colliders, radiation hardness is a key requirement which is not fulfilled by standard CMOS sensor designs that collect charge by diffusion. This issue has been addressed by …
The micromegas technology is a promising candidate to replace the forward muon chambers for the luminosity upgrade of ATLAS. The LHC accelerator luminosity will be five times the nominal one, increasing background and pile-up event probability. This requires detector performances which are currently under study in intensive R&D activities. Aging is one of the key issues for a high-luminosity LHC application. For this reason, we study the properties of resistive micromegas detectors under intense X-ray radiation and under thermal neutrons in different CEA-Saclay facilities. This study is comple…
In recent years, dark matter direct detection experiments have spurred interest in the Migdal effect, where it is employed to extend their sensitivity to lower dark matter masses. Given the lack of observation of the Migdal effect, the calculation of the signal is subject to large theoretical uncertainties. It is therefore desirable to attempt a first measurement of the Migdal effect, and to test the theoretical predictions of the Migdal effect for the calibration of the experimental response to a potential dark matter signal. In this work, we explore the feasibility of observing the Migdal ef…
The Multi-Grid detector technology has evolved from the proof-of-principle and characterisation stages. Here we report on the performance of the Multi-Grid detector, the MG.CNCS prototype, which has been installed and tested at the Cold Neutron Chopper Spectrometer, CNCS at SNS. This has allowed a side-by-side comparison to the performance of $^3$He detectors on an operational instrument. The demonstrator has an active area of 0.2 m$^2$. It is specifically tailored to the specifications of CNCS. The detector was installed in June 2016 and has operated since then, collecting neutron scattering …
The readout electronics of the ATLAS Hadronic Endcap Calorimeter (HEC) will have to withstand an about 3-5 times larger radiation environment at the future high-luminosity LHC (HLLHC) compared to their design values. The preamplifier and summing boards (PSBs), which are equipped with GaAs ASICs and comprise the heart of the readout electronics, were irradiated with neutrons and protons with fluences surpassing several times ten years of operation of the HL-LHC. Neutron tests were performed at the NPI in Rez, Czech Republic, where a 36 MeV proton beam was directed on a thick heavy water target …
Gamma Neutron Radioactive Source Identification in Water Cherenkov Detectors
Departamento de Física de Neutrones, Centro Atómico Bariloche（中子物理系，巴拉德奥切原子能中心）；Instituto Balseiro, CNEA-UNCuyo（巴尔塞罗研究所，CNEA-门多萨国立大学）；Escuela de Física, Universidad Industrial de Santander（桑坦德工业大学生物物理学院）；Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga（巴兰基亚自治大学基础科学系）；Fractalis Adventures & piensas.xyz（Fractalis探险与piensas.xyz）；Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)（国家科学研究委员会）
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a leading-edge, international experiment for neutrino science and proton decay studies. This experiment is looking for answers regarding several fundamental questions about the nature of matter and the evolution of the universe: origin of matter, unification of forces, physics of black holes. Two far detector prototypes using two distinct technologies have been developed at CERN. The prototypes are testing and validating the liquid argon time projection chamber technology (LArTPC). In neutrino physics, as well as in any experiment with rare in…
The Muon ATLAS MicroMegas Activity (MAMMA) focuses on the development and testing of large-area muon detectors based on the bulk-Micromegas technology. These detectors are candidates for the upgrade of the ATLAS Muon System in view of the luminosity upgrade of Large Hadron Collider at CERN (sLHC). They will combine trigger and precision measurement capability in a single device. A novel protection scheme using resistive strips above the readout electrode has been developed. The response and sparking properties of resistive Micromegas detectors were successfully tested in a mixed (neutron and g…
The COHERENT collaboration's primary objective is to measure coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) using the unique, high-quality source of tens-of-MeV neutrinos provided by the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In spite of its large cross section, the CEvNS process has never been observed, due to tiny energies of the resulting nuclear recoils which are out of reach for standard neutrino detectors. The measurement of CEvNS has now become feasible, thanks to the development of ultra-sensitive technology for rare decay and weakly-interacting …
The Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) multi detector spectrometer will provide precise information for the study of the properties of the exotic nuclear matter (very unbalanced proton (Z) and neutron (N) numbers) along proton- and neutron- drip lines and of super-heavy nuclei. This is done using the latest technology of particle accelerators. The AGATA spectrometer consists of 180 high purity Germanium detectors. Each detector is segmented into 38 segments. The very harsh project requirements are to measure gamma ray energies with very high resolution (< 1x 10 -3) at a high detector counti…
