Characterization of Silicon Photomultiplier and Design of Front-End Electronics for ALOFT

ALOFT is an aircraft campaign led by Birkeland Centre for Space Science at University of Bergen. The primary goal of the campaign is to look for Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes and gamma-ray glows, both high-energetic phenomena associated with thunderstorms. Among the several instruments to be used in the campaign is the UIB-BGO instrument, which will be upgraded with two new gamma-ray detectors. The new gamma-ray detectors will consist of two LYSO-scintillators of different sizes coupled to Silicon Photomultipliers. This thesis contributes to these detectors by characterizing the Silicon Photomultipliers and designing front-end electronics for the Silicon Photomultiplier, appropriate for the application. The signal shape, height, and length from the Silicon Photomultiplier are verified through measurement. Additionally, they are used to conclude with the best configuration of the Silicon Photomultiplier, with timing in mind. Other important characteristics are calculated, such as temperature sensitivity and linearity. The signal shape of Silicon Photomultiplier coupled to the LYSO-scintillator is also verified. A design of front-end electronics for the Silicon Photomultiplier is made; the challenge here was the large and fast signal from the Silicon Photomultiplier and its large detector capacitance. A solution of preamplifiers has been designed to resolve this. And a design of the shaping circuit is made; this reduces noise but still retains the fast signal. The needed parameters of the front-end electronics are calculated and verified through simulation. The specific components to be used are verified in simulations; additionally, the preamplifier is physically tested with Silicon Photomultiplier input.Masteroppgave i fysikkPHYS399MAMN-PHY

A New Fast Silicon Photomultiplier Photometer

The realization of low-cost instruments with high technical performance is a goal which deserves some efforts in an epoch of fast technological developments: indeed such instruments can be easily reproduced and therefore allow to open new research programs in several Observatories. We realized a fast optical photometer based on the SiPM technology, using commercially available modules. Using low-cost components we have developed a custom electronic chain to extract the signal produced by a commercial MPPC module produced by Hamamatsu, in order to obtain sub millisecond sampling of the light curve of astronomical sources, typically pulsars. In the early February 2011 we observed the Crab Pulsar at the Cassini telescope with our prototype photometer, deriving its period, power spectrum and shape of its light curve in very good agreement with the results obtained in the past with other instruments.Comment: Accepted for Publications of the Astronomical Society of Pacific (PASP), 8 pages, 8 figure

Full Characterization of the First 1 Inch Industrial Prototype of a New Concept Photodetector

The VSiPMT (Vacuum Silicon PhotoMultiplier Tube) is an original design for an innovative light detector we proposed with the aim to create new scientific instrumentation for industrial applications and physics research. The idea behind this device is to replace the classical dynode chain of a photomultiplier tube with a silicon photomultiplier, the latter acting as an electron detector and amplifier. The VSiPMT offers very attractive features and unprecedented performance, definitely superior to every other photodetector with comparable sensitive surface, such as: negligible power cosumption, excellent photon counting, easy low-voltage-based stabilization and very good time performance. After the feasibility test of the idea, Hamamatsu Photonics realized for our research group two VSiPMT industrial prototypes, that have been fully characterized. The results of the full characterization of the 1-inch industrial prototype are presented in this work.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figure

The Digital Silicon Photomultiplier

The Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are the new step in the development of the modern detection structures in the area of low photon flux detection with a unique capability of detection up to the single photons. The Silicon Photomultiplier intrinsically represents a digital signal source on the elementary cell level. The materials and technology of SiPMs are consistent with the modern electronics technology. We present the realization and implementation of a fully digital Silicon Photomultiplier Imager with an enclosed readout and processing on the basis of modern 3D technology

A high resolution scintillating fiber tracker with SiPM readout for the PEBS experiment

Using thin scintillating fibers with Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) readout a mo dular high-resolution charged-particle tracking detector has been designed. The fiber modules consist of 2 x 5 layers of 128 round multiclad scintillating fiber s of 0.250mm diameter. The fibers are read out by four SiPM arrays (8mm x 1mm) e ach on either end of the module.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, presented at the ICATPP 1

The Desktop Muon Detector: A simple, physics-motivated machine- and electronics-shop project for university students

This paper describes an undergraduate-level physics project that incorporates various aspects of machine- and electronics-shop technical development. The desktop muon detector is a self-contained apparatus that employs plastic scintillator as a detection medium and a silicon photomultiplier for light collection. These detectors can be used in conjunction with the provided software to make interesting physics measurements. The total cost of each counter is approximately $100.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figure