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At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Status of the Short-Baseline Near Detector at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector completed commissioning and began taking neutrino data in the summer of 2024. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record around 2 million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will soon carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

Paton, Josephine [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Wire Plane Transparency: Commissioning the Time Projection Chambers for the Short-Baseline Near Detector

The Short Baseline Near Detector (SBND) serves as the near detector for Fermilab's Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) programme. It is a 112-ton Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) designed to study neutrino-argon interactions and search for new physics phenomena such as sterile neutrinos. Situated just 110 m from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB), SBND just began its first physics run and is expected to record over two million neutrino interactions annually. Commissioning the time projection chambers of SBND is crucial for optimising detector performance. Each of the two anodes is composed of three charge-sensing wire planes which detect drifting ionisation electrons from charged particles traversing the detector. The wire planes, arranged with different 2D orientations, facilitate the 3D reconstruction of neutrino interactions. Electron transport induces signals on the first two planes, with the signal being collected by the rear plane. The first two induction planes require transparency to ensure all drift electrons reach the collection plane. This transparency depends on the bias voltages applied to the wires and the spacing between them. Fine-tuning these bias voltages ensures the optimisation of wire plane transparency. In this poster, I will demonstrate how transparency can be assessed by analysing the waveforms from cosmic-ray muon tracks traversing the detector at specific orientations.

McCusker, Bethany [Unlisted, US]↗
DOE OSTI2025

The KIPM Detector Consortium

Kinetic Inductance Phonon-Mediated (KIPM) Detectors, microcalorimeters that leverage kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to read out phonon signals from the device substrate, are an attractive architecture for low-threshold rare-event searches due to their large response to small changes in quasiparticle density and native multiplexability, enabling scalability. We have established a consortium comprising university and national lab groups dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art in these detectors, with the ultimate goal of designing a detector with a kg-scale target mass and sub-eV threshold on energy deposited in the substrate, enabling searches for both light dark matter and low-energy neutrino interactions. This consortium brings together experts in KID design, phonon and quasiparticle dynamics, and noise modeling, along with specialized fabrication facilities, test platforms, and unique calibration capabilities. Recently, our consortium has demonstrated a sensor resolution (i.e., resolution in the quasiparticle channel) of 2.1 eV, the current record for such devices. The current focus of the consortium is modeling and improving the phonon collection efficiency and implementing low-Tc superconductors, both of which serve to improve the overall energy resolution and threshold of the detectors. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the consortium and its capabilities, highlight some recent results from its member groups, and discuss near term plans toward reaching the ultimate goal.

Temples, Dylan J. [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of High Speed Optical and Magnetic Interactions in Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors

Single-photon detectors are essential tools for quantum photonics. The ideal single photon detector would exhibit a quantum efficiency (QE) of 100% (i.e. no false negatives), zero dark photon counts per second (i.e. no false positives), zero dead time (i.e. the detector is capable of detecting one photon immediately after another), and zero jitter (i.e. the electrical signal produced by the detector perfectly reproduces the timing of the input photon signal). Commercially available avalanche photodiodes (APDs) have generally performed reasonably well for visible wavelengths but they perform poorly at longer wavelengths. For wavelengths spanning the near- ultraviolet (UV) to the mid- infrared (IR), superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) can exhibit quantum efficiencies exceeding 90% with dark count rates and timing jitter roughly an order of magnitude less than is typically seen in APDs. While SNSPDSs are now commercially available from several small businesses, fundamental questions about the nature of photon interactions with superconducting nanostructures remain.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development of Thin Gap GEM-µRWELL Hybrid Detectors at Jefferson Lab

Over the past few decades, Micro Pattern Gaseous Detector (MPGD) technologies have been increasingly adopted as tracking detector options in High Energy and Nuclear Physics experiments thanks to their good spatial resolution, high-rate capability, stability and more importantly their ability for large area coverage at a relatively low cost compared to the alternative. The thin gap GEM-µRWELL hybrid detector is the latest addition to the MPGD family, that was introduced to vastly improve the spatial resolution capability of gaseous trackers when deployed in the barrel region to cover large angular acceptance of the central tracker in a collider experiment. In this talk, I will re-introduce the concept and motivation for the development of thin gap GEM-µRWELL hybrid technology with an emphasis on the initial studies that establish the proof-of-concept of the technology. I will then discuss the more recent results from latest beam test campaign at Jefferson Lab in May 2025 to study detector efficiency performance with various gas mixtures. I will also briefly present the ongoing activities to develop large area thin gap GEM-µRWELL tracking detectors for the ePIC experiment of the future Electron Ion Collider as well as the exploration of the technology to provide large area tracking options to the muon system of experiments at a future Higgs Factory Collider such as the FCC-ee for example. Finally, I will conclude with some perspectives on new ideas under exploration to develop the next generation of thin gap MPGD technologies with enhanced timing and spatial resolution capabilities

Gnanvo, Kondo [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerat↗
DOE OSTI2026

Status of the Short-Baseline Near Detector at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector has completed Run 1, successfully recording approximately 3 million neutrino interactions, and started Run 2 in the autumn of 2025. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record around 3 million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will soon carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining the BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

Del Tutto, Marco [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Status of the Short-Baseline Near Detector at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector has completed Run 1, successfully recording approximately 3 million neutrino interactions, and started Run 2 in the autumn of 2025. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record around 3 million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will soon carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining the BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

Del Tutto, Marco [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Performance of the AstroPix Prototype Module for the Barrel Imaging Calorimeter at the ePIC Detector and in Space-Based Payloads

AstroPix is a high-voltage CMOS (HV-CMOS) monolithic active pixel sensor originally developed to enable precision gamma-ray imaging and spectroscopy in the medium-energy regime (~100 keV–100 MeV) based on the groundwork laid by ATLASpix and MuPix. It features a 500 μm pixel pitch, in-pixel amplification and digitization, and low power consumption (~3-4 mW/cm2), making it scalable for large-area, multilayer telescope detector planes. The detectors have a designed dynamic range of 25 keV to 700 keV. With these features, AstroPix meets the requirements of future space-based high-energy telescopes and the imaging layers of the Barrel Imaging Calorimeter (BIC) in the Electron-Proton/Ion Collider (ePIC) detector at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). For the space-based payload, AstroPix is being integrated into sounding rocket and balloon payloads to demonstrate the technical readiness of the devices. For BIC, AstroPix-based imaging layers interleaved within the lead/scintillating-fiber (Pb/SciFi) sampling calorimeter provide granular shower imaging, enabling key performance features such as electron/pion or gamma/neutral pion separation. As part of the ongoing detector R&D efforts, we have been testing various AstroPix_v3 configurations: the single chip, a quad-chip assembly, a three-layer stack of quad chips, and a 9-chip module that represents the smallest prototype unit of the BIC imaging layer. This presentation will highlight recent performance test results from these AstroPix detector configurations.

Kim, Bobae (ORCID:0000000295396815)↗
DOE OSTI2025

MATHUSLA: An External Long-Lived Particle Detector to Maximize the Discovery Potential of the HL-LHC

We present the current status of the MATHUSLA (MAssive Timing Hodoscope for Ultra-Stable neutraL pArticles) long-lived particle (LLP) detector at the HL-LHC, covering the design, fabrication and installation at CERN Point 5. MATHUSLA40 is a 40 m-scale detector with an air-filled decay volume that is instrumented with scintillator tracking detectors, to be located near CMS. Its large size, close proximity to the CMS interaction point and about 100 m of rock shielding from LHC backgrounds allows it to detect LLP production rates and lifetimes that are one to two orders of magnitude beyond the ultimate reach of the LHC main detectors. This provides unique sensitivity to many LLP signals that are highly theoretically motivated, due to their connection to the hierarchy problem, the nature of dark matter, and baryogenesis. Data taking is projected to commence with the start of HL-LHC operations. We summarize the new 40m design for the detector that was recently presented in the MATHUSLA Conceptual Design Report, alongside new realistic background and signal simulations that demonstrate high efficiency for the main target LLP signals in a background-free HL-LHC search. We argue that MATHUSLA's uniquely robust expansion of the HL-LHC physics reach is a crucial ingredient in CERN's mission to search for new physics and characterize the Higgs boson with precision.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1964

Radiation Effects of Protons and Electrons in Silicon Diffused-Junction Detectors

Diffused n-on-p silicon particle detectors were irradiated with 1-Mev electrons, and with 31-Mev and 8.2-Mev protons. The detector capacitance was observed to increase with electron irradiation and to decrease with proton irradiation. A physical interpretation is given in terms of defect energy levels known to be introduced in silicon by irradiation. Defect ionization states are taken to be characteristic of the space-charge region, rather than of bulk silicon. The relation to other studies of damage in semiconductor particle detectors is pointed out, considering differences in the types of detector and irradiation used. The significance of these results is discussed for detector applications where the damage threshold is exceeded.

Scott, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Design and development of solid state detector for SCADS

Solid state detector technology was applied to the fabrication and testing of cadmium sulfide and silicon narrow slit detector/preamplifier subassemblies. Fabrication of the silicon detector and the cadmium sulfide detectors was accomplished by utilizing cadmium sulfide cells and silicon cells. Fabrication of the preamplifiers for both silicon and cadmium sulfide slit type detectors was also carried out. The design of these preamplifiers was adjusted to ascertain that the limiting noise source of the detector/preamplifier subassembly is the detector and the input cable.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1971

A low temperature gravitational radiation detector

The beginning design of an experiment is discussed for studying gravitational radiation by using massive detectors which are cooled to ultralow temperatures in order to improve the signal to noise ratios and the effective range and stability of the detectors. The gravitational detector, a low detection system, a cooled detector, magnetic support, superconducting shielding, and superconducting accelerometer detector are described.

Hamilton, W. O.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A high resolution semiconductor detector for applications in space

Nuclear radiation detectors with volumes of approximately 1 cu cm was fabricated from single crystals of germanium-silicon alloy containing as much as 20 weight percent germanium. The properties of these detectors were investigated and will be discussed. Tests reveal that the gamma ray photoelectric peak efficiency of an alloy detector with only 12 weight percent germanium is approximately 4 times that of a silicon detector of equal volume. The room temperature roomure appears to be a good possibility. Storage for long periods at room temperature does not seem to adversely affect these devices. The results of preliminary radiation damage experiments suggest that the alloy detectors possess a radiation damage resistance far greater than that of silicon.

Alexander, P.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Measurements of electron detection efficiencies in solid state detectors.

Detailed laboratory measurement of the electron response of solid state detectors as a function of incident electron energy, detector depletion depth, and energy-loss discriminator threshold. These response functions were determined by exposing totally depleted silicon surface barrier detectors with depletion depths between 50 and 1000 microns to the beam from a magnetic beta-ray spectrometer. The data were extended to 5000 microns depletion depth using the results of previously published Monte Carlo electron calculations. When the electron counting efficiency of a given detector is plotted as a function of energy-loss threshold for various incident energies, the efficiency curves are bounded by a smooth envelope which represents the upper limit to the detection efficiency. These upper limit curves, which scale in a simple way, make it possible to easily estimate the electron sensitivity of solid-state detector systems.

Lupton, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Synthesis and evaluation of phase detectors for active bit synchronizers

Self-synchronizing digital data communication systems usually use active or phase-locked loop (PLL) bit synchronizers. The three main elements of PLL synchronizers are the phase detector, loop filter, and the voltage controlled oscillator. Of these three elements, phase detector synthesis is the main source of difficulty, particularly when the received signals are demodulated square-wave signals. A phase detector synthesis technique is reviewed that provides a physically realizable design for bit synchronizer phase detectors. The development is based upon nonlinear recursive estimation methods. The phase detector portion of the algorithm is isolated and analyzed.

Mcbride, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Optimal optoacoustic detector design

Optoacoustic detectors are used to measure pressure changes occurring in enclosed gases, liquids, or solids being excited by intensity or frequency modulated electromagnetic radiation. Radiation absorption spectra, collisional relaxation rates, substance compositions, and reactions can be determined from the time behavior of these pressure changes. Very successful measurements of gaseous air pollutants have, for instance, been performed by using detectors of this type together with different lasers. The measuring instrument consisting of radiation source, modulator, optoacoustic detector, etc. is often called spectrophone. In the present paper, a thorough optoacoustic detector optimization analysis based upon a review of its theory of operation is introduced. New quantitative rules and suggestions explaining how to design detectors with maximal pressure responsivity and over-all sensitivity and minimal background signal are presented.

Rosengren, L.-G.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Wideband 1.064 micrometer detector evaluation

The performance of several candidate detectors for use as communications detectors in a 400 Mbps 1.064 micrometers laser communication system was evaluated. The results of communication system Bit Error Rate (BER) testing for the best detector of each type are summarized. Complete testing data of each type detector is presented. The 400 Mbps 1.064 micrometers communication system receiver test bed is described. The best communication system results for each detector type are included. Performance comparisons are made at 0.000001 BER, the specification level chosen for satellite laser communication links. The data is presented in two groups. The first indicates the best performance levels that can be expected on normal space laser communication system operation. The second cites the best performance levels which can be achieved by focusing the signal to diffraction limited spots on the photosensitive area.

Green, S. I.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Development of lightning current detector

A lightning current detector to record the maximum current amplitude of a lightning strike to the 150 meter weather tower at KSC was developed. The principle of operation of the detector is discussed, materials chosen to build the detector are described, and calibration tests performed on the detector are given. Field results of the detectors from two separate lightning strikes to the tower are included.

Livermore, S.↗