Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “time projection chambers (TPC)”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

A Complexity Agnostic Clustering Engine for Time Projection Chambers and its Implementation in FPGA

A clustering functional block implemented in field-programable-gate-array (FPGA) for time projection chambers (TPC) operating with predictable time regardless the complexity of the event is described in this paper. The clustering functional block reorganizes input data and the hits data belonging to the same clusters are output together for further process in the later stages. The clustering operation consists of two phases, data filling phase and data outputting phase, and the later uses the same number of clock cycles as the data filling phase. The clustering block can accommodate events with arbitrary number of clusters and number of hits per cluster as long as the total number of hits is within a predesigned limit. The operation time is exactly twice of the data filling time with no residual O(n2) term. The clustering block has been implemented with operating frequency of 200 MHz in a low-cost FPGA evaluation module and test results confirm the expected performance.

Wu, Jinyuan [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000344329521)↗
DOE OSTI2024

First operation of a multi-channel Q-Pix prototype: measuring transverse electron diffusion in a gas time projection chamber

We report measurements of the transverse diffusion of electrons in P-10 gas (90% Ar, 10% CH 4 ) in a laboratory-scale time projection chamber (TPC) utilizing a novel pixelated signal capture and digitization technique known as Q-Pix. The Q-Pix method incorporates a precision switched integrating transimpedance amplifier whose output is compared to a threshold voltage. Upon reaching the threshold, a comparator sends a 'reset' signal, initiating a discharge of the integrating capacitor. The time difference between successive resets is inversely proportional to the average current at the pixel in that time interval, and the number of resets is directly proportional to the total collected charge. We developed a 16-channel Q-Pix prototype fabricated from commercial off-the-shelf components and coupled them to 16 concentric annular anode electrodes to measure the spatial extent of the electron swarm that reaches the anode after drifting through the uniform field of the TPC. The swarm is produced at a gold photocathode using pulsed UV light. The measured transverse diffusion agrees with simulations in PyBoltz across a range of operating pressures (200–1500 Torr). These results demonstrate that a Q-Pix readout can successfully reconstruct the ionization topology in a TPC.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Design, characterization and installation of the NEXT-100 cathode and electroluminescence regions

NEXT-100 is currently being constructed at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc in the Spanish Pyrenees and will search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure gaseous time projection chamber (TPC) with 100 kg of xenon. Charge amplification is carried out via electroluminescence (EL) which is the process of accelerating electrons in a high electric field region causing secondary scintillation of the medium proportional to the initial charge. The NEXT-100 EL and cathode regions are made from tensioned hexagonal meshes of 1 m diameter. This paper describes the design, characterization, and installation of these parts for NEXT-100. Simulations of the electric field are performed to model the drift and amplification of ionization electrons produced in the detector under various EL region alignments and rotations. Measurements of the electrostatic breakdown voltage in air characterize performance under high voltage conditions and identify breakdown points. Furthermore, the electrostatic deflection of the mesh is quantified and fit to a first-principles mechanical model. Measurements were performed with both a standalone test EL region and with the NEXT-100 EL region before its installation in the detector. Finally, we describe the parts as installed in NEXT-100, following their deployment in Summer 2023.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Benchmarking the design of the cryogenics system for the underground argon in DarkSide-20k

DarkSide-20k (DS-20k) is a dark matter detection experimentunder construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS)in Italy. It utilises ∼ 100 t of low radioactivity argon from anunderground source (UAr) in its inner detector, with half serving astarget in a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC). The UArcryogenics system must maintain stable thermodynamic conditionsthroughout the experiment's lifetime of over10 years. Continuous removal ofimpurities and radon from the UAr is essential for maximising signalyield and mitigating background. We are developing an efficient andpowerful cryogenics system with a gas purification loop with atarget circulation rate of1000 slpm. Central to itsdesign is a condenser operated with liquid nitrogen which is pairedwith a gas heat exchanger cascade, delivering a combined coolingpower of more than 8 kW. Here wepresent the design choices in view of the DS-20k requirements, inparticular the condenser's working principle and the coolingcontrol, and we show test results obtained with a dedicatedbenchmarking platform at CERN and LNGS. We find that the thermalefficiency of the recirculation loop, defined in terms of nitrogenconsumption per argon flow rate, is95 % and the pressure in the testcryostat can be maintained within±(0.1–0.2) mbar. Wefurther detail a 5-day cool-down procedure of the test cryostat,maintaining a cooling rate typically within-2 K/h, as required for theDS-20k inner detector. Additionally, we assess the circuit's flowresistance, and the heat transfer capabilities of two heat exchangergeometries for argon phase change, used to provide gas forrecirculation. We conclude by discussing how our findings influencethe finalisation of the system design, including necessarymodifications to meet requirements and ongoing testing activities.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flow and thermal modelling of the argon volume in the DarkSide-20k TPC

The DarkSide-20k dark matter experiment, currently under construction at LNGS, features a dual-phase time projection chamber (TPC) with a ∼ 50 t argon target from an underground well. At this scale, it is crucial to optimise the argon flow pattern for efficient target purification and for fast distribution of internal gaseous calibration sources with lifetimes of the order of hours. To this end, we have performed computational fluid dynamics simulations and heat transfer calculations. The residence time distribution shows that the detector is well-mixed on time-scales of the turnover time (∼ 40 d). Notably, simulations show that despite a two-order-of-magnitude difference between the turnover time and the half-life of 83m Kr of 1.83 h, source atoms have the highest probability to reach the centre of the TPC 13 min after their injection, allowing for a homogeneous distribution before undergoing radioactive decay. We further analyse the thermal aspects of dual-phase operation and define the requirements for the formation of a stable gas pocket on top of the liquid. We find a best-estimate value for the heat transfer rate at the liquid-gas interface of 62 W with an upper limit of 144 W and a minimum gas pocket inlet temperature of 89 K to avoid condensation on the acrylic anode. This study also informs the placement of liquid inlets and outlets in the TPC. The presented techniques are widely applicable to other large-scale, noble-liquid detectors.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Object detection with deep learning for rare event search in the GADGET II TPC

In the pursuit of identifying rare two-particle events within the GADGET II Time Projection Chamber (TPC), this paper presents a comprehensive approach for leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and various data processing methods. To address the inherent complexities of 3D TPC track reconstructions, the data is expressed in 2D projections and 1D quantities. This approach capitalizes on the diverse data modalities of the TPC, allowing for the efficient representation of the distinct features of the 3D events, with no loss in topology uniqueness. Additionally, it leverages the computational efficiency of 2D CNNs and benefits from the extensive availability of pre-trained models. Given the scarcity of real training data for the rare events of interest, simulated events are used to train the models to detect real events. To account for potential distribution shifts when predominantly depending on simulations, significant perturbations are embedded within the simulations. This produces a broad parameter space that works to account for potential physics parameter and detector response variations and uncertainties. These parameter-varied simulations are used to train sensitive 2D CNN object detectors. When combined with 1D histogram peak detection algorithms, this multi-modal detection framework is highly adept at identifying rare, two-particle events in data taken during experiment 21072 at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), demonstrating a 100% recall for events of interest. Here, we present the methods and outcomes of our investigation and discuss the potential future applications of these techniques.

Convolutional neural network↗
DOE OSTI2024

Time calibration and synchronization of the scintillation light detection system in ICARUS-T600

The ICARUS-T600 Liquid Argon (LAr) Time Projection Chamber (TPC) is presently taking data in the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab (U.S.A.) to search for a possible LSND-like sterile neutrino signal at Δm 2 ≈ 1 eV 2 with the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB). A light detection system, based on 360 large area Photo-Multiplier Tubes (PMTs), has been realized for ICARUS-T600 to detect VUV photons produced by the passage of ionizing particles in LAr. This system is fundamental for the TPC operation, providing an efficient trigger and contributing to the 3D reconstruction of events. Moreover, since the detector is exposed to a huge flux of cosmic rays due to its shallow depths installation, the light detection system allows for the time reconstruction of events, contributing to the identification and to the selection of genuine neutrino interactions. The correct time reconstruction of events requires the precise knowledge of the delay of each PMT channel and a good synchronization of recording electronics, this last based on fast sampling digitizers. To achieve a time resolution better than 1 ns, we perform three consecutive timing corrections deployed at different stages of the optical data flow. Results demonstrate the capability of the ICARUS-T600 light detection system to allow a precise reconstruction of the temporal evolution of each event occurring in the detector and the association of neutrino events with the bunched structure of BNB.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS2016

An Efficient, FPGA-Based, Cluster Detection Algorithm Implementation for a Strip Detector Readout System in a Time Projection Chamber Polarimeter

A fundamental challenge in a spaceborne application of a gas-based Time Projection Chamber (TPC) for observation of X-ray polarization is handling the large amount of data collected. The TPC polarimeter described uses the APV-25 Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) to readout a strip detector. Two dimensional photoelectron track images are created with a time projection technique and used to determine the polarization of the incident X-rays. The detector produces a 128x30 pixel image per photon interaction with each pixel registering 12 bits of collected charge. This creates challenging requirements for data storage and downlink bandwidth with only a modest incidence of photons and can have a significant impact on the overall mission cost. An approach is described for locating and isolating the photoelectron track within the detector image, yielding a much smaller data product, typically between 8x8 pixels and 20x20 pixels. This approach is implemented using a Microsemi RT-ProASIC3-3000 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), clocked at 20 MHz and utilizing 10.7k logic gates (14% of FPGA), 20 Block RAMs (17% of FPGA), and no external RAM. Results will be presented, demonstrating successful photoelectron track cluster detection with minimal impact to detector dead-time.

Polarimeter↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancing Neutrino Event Simulation through Overlays at the ICARUS Experiment on the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program

In the pursuit of precise neutrino event simulation, the ICARUS experiment within the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab uses an overlay technique to closely align simulations with experimental data. This technique consists of taking signals from data from each of the each of the three subsystems (TPC, PMT, CRT) and overlaying a simulated neutrino interaction onto the event. The overlay procedure includes superimposing simulated waveforms from neutrino interactions from both Time Projection Chambers (TPC) and Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) onto their respective data counterparts. Furthermore, the Cosmic Ray Tagger (CRT) hits from both data and simulations are combined to form the overlay event. By combining signals in this manner, we can obtain a data-driven modeling of cosmic backgrounds as well as the detector response enabling a more precise handling of noise sources when using neutrino simulations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development of a 127 Xe calibration source for nEXO

Here, we study a possible calibration technique for the nEXO experiment using a 127 Xe electron capture source. nEXO is a next-generation search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) that will use a 5-tonne, monolithic liquid xenon time projection chamber (TPC). The xenon, used both as source and detection medium, will be enriched to 90% in 136 Xe. To optimize the event reconstruction and energy resolution, calibrations are needed to map the position- and time-dependent detector response. The 36.3 day half-life of 127 Xe and its small Q-value compared to that of 136 Xe 0νββ would allow a small activity to be maintained continuously in the detector during normal operations without introducing additional backgrounds, thereby enabling in-situ calibration and monitoring of the detector response. In this work we describe a process for producing the source and preliminary experimental tests. We then use simulations to project the precision with which such a source could calibrate spatial corrections to the light and charge response of the nEXO TPC.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

The DarkSide-20k TPC and underground argon cryogenic system

DarkSide-20k (DS-20k) will exploit the physical and chemical properties of liquid argon (LAr) housed within a large dual-phase time project chamber (TPC) in its direct search for dark matter. The TPC will utilize a compact, integrated design with many novel features to enable the 20t fiducial volume of underground argon. Underground Argon (UAr) is sourced from underground CO _2 2 wells and depleted in the radioactive isotope ^{39} 39 Ar, greatly enhancing the experimental sensitivity to dark matter interactions. Sourcing and transporting the \mathcal{O} 𝒪 (100t) of UAr for (DS-20k) is costly, and a dedicated single-closed-loop cryogenic system has been designed, constructed, and tested to handle the valuable UAr. We present an overview of the (DS-20k) TPC design and the first results from the UAr cryogenic system.

Thorpe, Thomas N.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exploring Novel Technologies for Particle Tracking in Gas TPCs (Final Technical Report)

This report provides the final results from R&D on a novel 2D readout for a time projection chamber (TPC), which operates with negative-ion drift. The readout consists of two gas electron multiplier (GEM) devices places at an angle with respect to each other. The 2D range of particles interacting in the TPC is reconstructed using pulse-shape timing only. Due to the low diffusion and drift speeds of the negative-ions carrying the track information to the anode, the track resolution is <200 microns. Acquiring this level of resolution for short, low energy particle tracks in a standard TPC would require a fine granularity strip or pixel readout with many 1000s of electronic channels. With this novel readout, only two channels are needed. Our results showed that the concept is fundamentally sound. We found a number of issues related to how well the timing signals are determined from the pulse waveforms. Solutions for these had to be left for future R&D.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Calibration and simulation of ionization signal and electronics noise in the ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber

The ICARUS liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detector has been taking physics data since 2022 as part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. This paper details the equalization of the response to charge in the ICARUS time projection chamber (TPC), as well as data-driven tuning of the simulation of ionization charge signals and electronics noise. The equalization procedure removes non-uniformities in the ICARUS TPC response to charge in space and time. This work leverages the copious number of cosmic ray muons available to ICARUS at the surface. The ionization signal shape simulation applies a novel procedure that tunes the simulation to match what is measured in data. The end result of the equalization procedure and simulation tuning allows for a comparison of charge measurements in ICARUS between Monte Carlo simulation and data, showing good performance with minimal residual bias between the two.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Studies on the scintillation light detection in the ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid-argon TPC and its capability for the supernova trigger in DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that aims at addressing key questions in neutrino physics in the next decades. Its scientific program includes the detection of the neutrino flux from a core-collapse supernova. The DUNE far detector will have four 17-kt mass liquid-argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) modules. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP), a dual-phase LAr TPC with 300 t of active mass and 6 m of drift distance, was operated with cosmic muons in 2019-2020 as part of an R&D program at the CERN Neutrino Platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology at such a large scale. In a LAr TPC, the photon detection system (PDS) provides fundamental timing information and trigger capabilities. The PDS of ProtoDUNE-DP, which consisted of 36 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), counted on a dedicated light calibration system (LCS) to monitor the PMT response. In this dissertation, the characterization and validation of the ProtoDUNE-DP PDS and LCS components before their installation will be reviewed, highlighting the results of general interest for experiments that use liquid noble gasses as target medium. The results from the stable performance of both systems in the detector during 15 months will be presented next as well as the studies on the scintillation light detection in ProtoDUNE-DP, where the collection of light produced in LAr at 7 m from the photosensors has been achieved for the first time. It is worth pointing out that the excellent LAr purity and the large size of the detector have enabled to develop a unique data-driven investigation on aspects that are critical for LAr-based experiments but that are not completely understood. The analyses cover the characterization of the low-energy background detected by the PDS, the quantification of the electric field impact on the light yield, the evaluation of the Rayleigh scattering affecting the light propagation, and the analysis of the PMT detection efficiency. The effect of the VUV reflectivity of the detector materials will be also discussed. In addition, the estimation of the cosmic muon flux crossing the TPC and the study of the observed light yield by the PDS will be reported. Finally, the results from the simulation-based study of the supernova burst trigger capability with the PDS of a 12.1-kt active mass dual-phase LAr TPC as the one proposed for DUNE will be summarized. Several configurations of reflective foils installed in the TPC to enhance the light collection will be compared.

Gallego Ros, Ana↗
DOE OSTI2021

Studies on the scintillation light detection in the ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid-argon TPC and its capability for the supernova trigger in DUNE

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment that aims at addressing key questions in neutrino physics in the next decades. Its scientific program includes the detection of the neutrino flux from a core-collapse supernova. The DUNE far detector will have four 17-kt mass liquid-argon (LAr) time-projection chamber (TPC) modules. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP), a dual-phase LAr TPC with 300 t of active mass and 6 m of drift distance, was operated with cosmic muons in 2019-2020 as part of an R&D program at the CERN Neutrino Platform to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology at such a large scale. In a LAr TPC, the photon detection system (PDS) provides fun- damental timing information and trigger capabilities. The PDS of ProtoDUNE-DP, which consisted of 36 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), counted on a dedicated light calibration system (LCS) to monitor the PMT response. In this dissertation, the characterization and validation of the ProtoDUNE-DP PDS and LCS components before their installation will be reviewed, highlighting the results of general interest for experiments that use liquid noble gasses as target medium. The results from the stable performance of both systems in the detector during 15 months will be presented next as well as the studies on the scintillation light detection in ProtoDUNE-DP, where the collection of light produced in LAr at 7 m from the photosensors has been achieved for the first time. It is worth pointing out that the excellent LAr purity and the large size of the detector have enabled to develop a unique data-driven investigation on aspects that are critical for LAr- based experiments but that are not completely understood. The analyses cover the characterization of the low-energy background detected by the PDS, the quantification of the electric field impact on the light yield, the evaluation of the Rayleigh scattering affecting the light propagation, and the analysis of the PMT detection efficiency. The effect of the VUV reflectivity of the detector materials will be also discussed. In addition, the estimation of the cosmic muon flux crossing the TPC and the study of the observed light yield by the PDS will be reported. Finally, the results from the simulation-based study of the supernova burst trigger capability with the PDS of a 12.1-kt active mass dual-phase LAr TPC as the one proposed for DUNE will be summarized. Several configurations of reflective foils installed in the TPC to enhance the light collection will be compared

Gallego-Ros, Ana↗
DOE OSTI2023

Study of cosmogenic activation above ground for the DarkSide-20k experiment

The activation of materials due to exposure to cosmic rays may become an important background source for experiments investigating rare event phenomena. DarkSide-20k, currently under construction at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, is a direct detection experiment for galactic dark matter particles, using a two-phase liquid-argon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) filled with 49.7 tonnes (active mass) of Underground Argon (UAr) depleted in 39 Ar. Despite the outstanding capability of discriminating γ / β background in argon TPCs, this background must be considered because of induced dead time or accidental coincidences mimicking dark-matter signals and it is relevant for low-threshold electron-counting measurements. Here, the cosmogenic activity of relevant long-lived radioisotopes induced in the experiment has been estimated to set requirements and procedures during preparation of the experiment and to check that it is not dominant over primordial radioactivity; particular attention has been paid to the activation of the 120 t of UAr used in DarkSide-20k. Expected exposures above ground and production rates, either measured or calculated, have been considered in detail. From the simulated counting rates in the detector due to cosmogenic isotopes, it is concluded that activation in copper and stainless steel is not problematic. The activity of 39 Ar induced during extraction, purification and transport on surface is evaluated to be 2.8% of the activity measured in UAr by DarkSide-50 experiment, which used the same underground source, and thus considered acceptable. Other isotopes in the UAr such as 37 Ar and 3 H are shown not to be relevant due to short half-life and assumed purification methods.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Reduction of ion backflow using a quadruple GEM detector with various gas mixtures

In gaseous tracking detectors with a large gaseous volume, like Time Projection Chambers (TPC), multiple layers of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) can be used to block positive ions from flowing back into the active volume, which is detrimental to the tracking performance. TPCs with multilayer GEM readout are used in the recently upgraded ALICE experiment, and in the upcoming sPHENIX experiment. In both cases, suppression of ion backflow (IBF) is important for achieving the desired detector performance. Here, we report on studies of effective gain, IBF, and energy resolution in quadruple GEM detectors, and on strategies for minimizing IBF by optimizing the operating voltages of the individual GEM layers and the potential differences between different layers. These studies are performed as baseline measurements intended to aid in the optimization of the operating conditions of the GEMs of the sPHENIX TPC.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Power over fiber development for HEP detectors

Power-over-Fiber (PoF) technology has been used extensively in settings where high voltages require isolation from ground and electromagnetic isolation is critical. In cryogenic environments, PoF offers a reliable power transmission technology, leveraging optical fibers to transfer power with minimal system degradation. PoF technology excels in maintaining low noise levels and isolation when delivering power to sensitive electronic systems operating in extreme temperature ranges and high voltage environments. Here, in a novel application of PoF for a HEP detector, power is provided to photon detector modules located on a surface at ~300 kV with respect to ground in the planned DUNE experiment. This summary paper of the PoF talk at the 16th PISA Meeting on Advanced Detectors highlights the R&D effort of PoF in extreme conditions and underscores its capacity to revolutionize power delivery and management in critical applications offering a dependable solution with low noise, optimal efficiency, and superior isolation. The DUNE (Abi et al., 2020) experiment will soon deploy large liquid argon (LAr) time projection chambers (TPC) to detect neutrino interactions and other particle physics phenomena. In addition to the particle tracking provided by the TPC, photon detectors, powered by a first ever PoF system, in the cryostat will leverage the high scintillation light yield of LAr to provide crucial timing and additional calorimetric information.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗