Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Galán, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Galán, J..

7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Muon tracking in a LiquidO opaque scintillator detector

LiquidO is an innovative radiation detector concept. The core idea is to exploit stochastic light confinement in a highly scattering medium to self-segment the detector volume. In this paper, we demonstrate event-by-event muon tracking in a LiquidO opaque scintillator detector prototype. The detector consists of a 30 mm cubic scintillator volume instrumented with 64 wavelength-shifting fibres arranged in an 8 × 8 grid with a 3.2 mm pitch and read out by silicon photomultipliers. A wax-based opaque scintillator with a scattering length of approximately 0.5 mm is used. The tracking performance of this LiquidO detector is characterised with cosmic-ray muons and the position resolution is demonstrated to be 450 μm per row of fibres. These results highlight the potential of LiquidO opaque scintillator detectors to achieve fine spatial resolution, enabling precise particle tracking and imaging.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

COCOA: A compact Compton camera for astrophysical observation of MeV-scale gamma rays

COCOA (COmpact COmpton cAmera) is a next-generation gamma-ray telescope designed for astrophysical observations in the MeV energy range. The detector comprises a scatterer volume employing the LiquidO detection technology and an array of scintillating crystals acting as absorber. Surrounding plastic scintillator panels serve as a veto system for charged particles. The detector's compact, scalable design enables flexible deployment on microsatellites or high-altitude balloons. Gamma rays at MeV energies have not been well explored historically (the so-called "MeV gap") and COCOA has the potential to improve the sensitivity in this energy band.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Characterization of a radiation detector based on opaque water-based liquid scintillator

Here, we present the characterization of a novel radiation detector based on an opaque water-based liquid scintillator. Opaque scintillators, also known as LiquidO, are made to be highly scattering, such that the scintillation light is effectively confined, and read out through wavelength-shifting fibers. The 1-liter, 32-channel prototype demonstrates the capability for both spectroscopy and topological reconstruction of point-like events. The design, construction, and evaluation of the detector are described, including modeling of the scintillation liquid optical properties and the detector’s response to gamma rays of several energies. A mean position reconstruction error of 4.4 mm for 1.6 MeV-equivalent events and 7.4 mm for 0.8 MeV-equivalent events is demonstrated using a simple reconstruction approach analogous to center-of-mass.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultra low background Micromegas detectors for BabyIAXO solar axion search

Abstract The International AXion Observatory (IAXO) is a large scale axion helioscope that will look for axions and axion-like particles produced in the Sun with unprecedented sensitivity. BabyIAXO is an intermediate experimental stage that will be hosted at DESY (Germany) and that will test all IAXO subsystems serving as a prototype for IAXO but at the same time as a fully-fledged helioscope with potential for discovery.One of the crucial components of the project is the ultra-low background X-ray detectors that will image the X-ray photons produced by axion conversion in the experiment. The baseline detection technology for this purpose are Micromegas (Microbulk) detectors. We will show the quest and the strategy to attain the very challenging levels of background targeted for BabyIAXO that need a multi-approach strategy coming from ground measurements, screening campaigns of components of the detector, underground measurements, background models, in-situ background measurements as well as powerful rejection algorithms. First results from the commissioning of the BabyIAXO prototype will be shown.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗
DOE OSTI2022

Recoil imaging for dark matter, neutrinos, and physics beyond the Standard Model

Recoil imaging entails the detection of spatially resolved ionization tracks generated by particle interactions. This is a highly sought-after capability in many classes of detector, with broad applications across particle and astroparticle physics. However, at low energies, where ionization signatures are small in size, recoil imaging only seems to be a practical goal for micro-pattern gas detectors. This white paper outlines the physics case for recoil imaging, and puts forward a decadal plan to advance towards the directional detection of low-energy recoils with sensitivity and resolution close to fundamental performance limits. The science case covered includes: the discovery of dark matter into the neutrino fog, directional detection of sub-MeV solar neutrinos, the precision study of coherent-elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering, the detection of solar axions, the measurement of the Migdal effect, X-ray polarimetry, and several other applied physics goals. We also outline the R&D programs necessary to test concepts that are crucial to advance detector performance towards their fundamental limit: single primary electron sensitivity with full 3D spatial resolution at the $\sim$100 micron-scale. These advancements include: the use of negative ion drift, electron counting with high-definition electronic readout, time projection chambers with optical readout, and the possibility for nuclear recoil tracking in high-density gases such as argon. We also discuss the readout and electronics systems needed to scale-up such detectors to the ton-scale and beyond.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Conceptual design of BabyIAXO, the intermediate stage towards the International Axion Observatory

This article describes BabyIAXO, an intermediate experimental stage of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), proposed to be sited at DESY. IAXO is a large-scale axion helioscope that will look for axions and axion-like particles (ALPs), produced in the Sun, with unprecedented sensitivity. BabyIAXO is conceived to test all IAXO subsystems (magnet, optics and detectors) at a relevant scale for the final system and thus serve as prototype for IAXO, but at the same time as a fully-fledged helioscope with relevant physics reach itself, and with potential for discovery. The BabyIAXO magnet will feature two 10 m long, 70 cm diameter bores, and will host two detection lines (optics and detector) of dimensions similar to the final ones foreseen for IAXO. BabyIAXO will detect or reject solar axions or ALPs with axion-photon couplings down to g aγ ~ 1 . 5 × 10 -11 GeV -1 , and masses up to m a ~ 0.25 eV. BabyIAXO will offer additional opportunities for axion research in view of IAXO, like the development of precision x-ray detectors to identify particular spectral features in the solar axion spectrum, and the implementation of radiofrequency-cavity-based axion dark matter setups.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗