Study of aging properties of a wire chamber operating with high-pressure hydrogen

Abstract The project for a precision measurement of the mp-capture rate (mCAP experiment) is based on an application of a multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC) operating in ultra-pure hydrogen at 10 bar pressure. A special test setup was constructed at PNPI to investigate the MWPC performance under the expected experimental conditions. The aging studies of the MWPCs were performed with intense irradiation from an a-source ð 241 AmÞ and a b-source ð 90 SrÞ: After 45 days of continuous irradiation by a-particles no changes in the currents, in the signal shapes, and in the counting rates were observed. It was demonstrated that the MWPCs can operate without degradation at least up to accumulated charges of 0:1 C=cm wire. These irradiation conditions are much more severe than in the real experiment. During the study of the MWPC we have observed an appearance of short duration signals with amplitudes an order of magnitude larger than those of normal signals from the a-particles. The number of such signals (''streamers'') strongly depend on HV. We shall continue these tests in the future with the goal of obtaining more detailed information about aging properties of MWPCs operating with high-pressure hydrogen.

Study of aging properties of a wire chamber operating with high-pressure hydrogen

The project for a precision measurement of the µp-capture rate (µCAP experiment) is based on an application of a multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC) operating in ultra-pure hydrogen at 10 bar pressure. A special test setup was constructed at PNPI to investigate the MWPC performance under the expected experimental conditions. The aging studies of the MWPCs were performed with intense irradiation from an alpha-source (Am 241 ) and a beta-source (Sr 90 ). After 45 days of continuous irradiation by alpha-particles no changes in the currents, in the signal shapes, and in the counting rates were observed. It was demonstrated that the MWPCs can operate without degradation at least up to accumulated charges of 0.1 C/cm wire. These irradiation conditions are much more severe than in the real experiment. During the study of the MWPC we have observed an appearance of short duration signals with amplitudes an order of magnitude larger than those of normal signals from the alpha-particles. The number of such signals ("streamers") strongly depend on HV. We shall continue these tests in the future with the goal of obtaining more detailed information about aging properties of MWPCs operating with high-pressure hydrogen

The HERMES Spectrometer

The HERMES experiment is collecting data on inclusive and semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering of polarised positrons from polarised targets of Il, D, and He-3. These data give information on the spin structure of the nucleon. This paper describes the forward angle spectrometer built for this purpose. The spectrometer includes numerous tracking chambers (micro-strip gas chambers, drift and proportional chambers) in front of and behind a 1.3 T.m magnetic field, as well as an extensive set of detectors for particle identification (a lead-glass calorimeter, a pre-shower detector, a transition radiation detector, and a threshold Cherenkov detector). Two of the main features of the spectrometer are its good acceptance and identification of both positrons and hadrons, in particular pions. These characteristics, together with the purity of the targets, are allowing HERMES to make unique contributions to the understanding of how the spins of the quarks contribute to the spin of the nucleon. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Aging Investigation of CMS EMU Prototype Chambers

The aging investigation results of CMS EMU prototype chambers are presented. Aging tests under sustained irradiation by a 90Sr 2 Ci were performed with three working gas mixtures Ar( 30%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 20%), Ar( 30%)+CO2( 70%) and Ar( 40%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 10%). For Ar( 30%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 20%) mixture gas gain reduction was not observed up to the accumulated charge Q = 13.56 C/cm. However, the dark current in the chamber was noticeable starting already from Q = 2 C/cm. The absence of the CF4 ( in the Ar/CO2 gas mixture) caused fast aging deterioration, and Q = 0.2 C/cm was enough to obtain 50% of the gas gain reduction. In the test with Ar( 40%)+CO2( 50%)+CF4( 10%) mixture the gas gain reduction and the dark current increase were not observed up to Q = 13.35 C/cm. Reduction of the gas flow rate to 0.1 volume per day caused 50% of the gain decrease due to the gas pollution by fragments of dissociated gas molecules. The gain restored after switching back to the 1 volume per day flow rate. Studies with electronic microscope suggest that in all the tests a silicon contained in RTV sealing and FR4 is the major source of the chamber contamination

Gas gain and aging rate of the gas discharge detectors

Section V. Equipment, Methods and Automation of Nuclear Experiments, Interaction of Nuclear Radiation with the Matter and Applications of Methods of Nuclear Physic