314 research outputs found
Resolution studies of cosmic-ray tracks in a TPC with GEM readout
A large volume TPC is a leading candidate for the central tracking detector
at a future high energy linear collider. To improve the resolution a new
readout based on micro-pattern gas detectors is being developed. Measurements
of the spatial resolution of cosmic-ray tracks in a GEM TPC are presented. We
find that the resolution suffers if the readout pads are too wide with respect
to the charge distribution at the readout plane due to insufficient charge
sharing. For narrow pads of 2 x 6 mm**2 we measure a resolution of 100
micometer at short drift distances in the absence of an axial magnetic field.
The dependence of the spatial resolution as a function of drift distance allows
the determination of the underlying electron statistics. Our results show that
the present technique uses about half the statistical power available from the
number of primary electrons. The track angle effect is observed as expected.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, version as published in Nucl. Inst. Met
Development of Thick-foil and Fine-pitch GEMs with a Laser Etching Technique
We have produced thick-foil and fine-pitch gas electron multipliers (GEMs)
using a laser etching technique. To improve production yield we have employed a
new material, Liquid Crystal Polymer, instead of polyimide as an insulator
layer. The effective gain of the thick-foil GEM with a hole pitch of 140 um, a
hole diameter of 70 um, and a thickness of 100 um reached a value of 10^4 at an
applied voltage of 720 V. The measured effective gain of the thick-foil and
fine-pitch GEM (80 um pitch, 40 um diameter, and 100 um thick) was similar to
that of the thick-foil GEM. The gain stability was measured for the thick-foil
and fine-pitch GEM, showing no significant increase or decrease as a function
of elapsed time from applying the high voltage. The gain stability over 3 h of
operation was about 0.5%. Gain mapping across the GEM showed a good uniformity
with a standard deviation of about 4%. The distribution of hole diameters
across the GEM was homogeneous with a standard deviation of about 3%. There was
no clear correlation between the gain and hole diameter maps.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figure
Cosmic ray tests of a GEM-based TPC prototype operated in Ar-CF4-isobutane gas mixtures
Argon with an admixture of CF4 is expected to be a good candidate for the gas
mixture to be used for a time projection chamber (TPC) in the future linear
collider experiment because of its small transverse diffusion of drift
electrons especially under a strong magnetic field. In order to confirm the
superiority of this gas mixture over conventional TPC gases we carried out
cosmic ray tests using a GEM-based TPC operated mostly in Ar-CF4-isobutane
mixtures under 0 - 1 T axial magnetic fields. The measured gas properties such
as gas gain and transverse diffusion constant as well as the observed spatial
resolution are presented.Comment: 22 pages, 18 figures. Published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in
Physics Research A. Fig. 3 in the introduction was corrected since it had not
been properly normalized. Minor corrections and no changes in the conclusio
Development of a Time Projection Chamber Using Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM-TPC)
We developed a prototype time projection chamber using gas electron
multipliers (GEM-TPC) for high energy heavy ion collision experiments. To
investigate its performance, we conducted a beam test with 3 kinds of gases
(Ar(90%)-CH4(10%), Ar(70%)-C2H6(30%) and CF4). Detection efficiency of 99%, and
spatial resolution of 79 m in the pad-row direction and 313 m in the
drift direction were achieved. The test results show that the GEM-TPC meets the
requirements for high energy heavy ion collision experiments. The configuration
and performance of the GEM-TPC are described.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, published online in Nucl. Instr. and Meth.
Beam Performance of Tracking Detectors with Industrially Produced GEM Foils
Three Gas-Electron-Multiplier tracking detectors with an active area of 10 cm
x 10 cm and a two-dimensional, laser-etched orthogonal strip readout have been
tested extensively in particle beams at the Meson Test Beam Facility at
Fermilab. These detectors used GEM foils produced by Tech-Etch, Inc. They
showed an efficiency in excess of 95% and spatial resolution better than 70 um.
The influence of the angle of incidence of particles on efficiency and spatial
resolution was studied in detail.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, accepted by Nuclear Instruments and Methods in
Physics Research
Investigation of the performance of an optimised MicroCAT, a GEM and their combination by simulations and current measurements
A MicroCAT (Micro Compteur A Trous) structure which is used for avalanche
charge multiplication in gas filled radiation detectors has been optimised with
respect to maximum electron transparency and minimum ion feedback. We report on
the charge transfer behaviour and the achievable gas gain of this device. A
three-dimensional electron and ion transfer simulation is compared to results
derived from electric current measurements. Similarly, we present studies of
the charge transfer behaviour of a GEM (Gas Electron Multiplier) by current
measurements and simulations. Finally, we investigate the combination of the
MicroCAT and the GEM by measurements with respect to the performance at
different voltage settings, gas mixtures and gas pressures.Comment: 26 pages, 32 figure
Effects of overstory tree density, site preparation, and ground vegetation on natural Scots pine seedling emergence and survival in northern boreal pine forests
Natural regeneration is a commonly used forest regeneration method in northern Finland. It is not known, however, what would be the optimal overstory density and ground vegetation composition for seedling emergence and survival, and if site preparation is needed to accompany overstory density manipulation. We studied the effects of overstory density (unthinned control and thinning to 50,150, and 250 trees.ha(-1)) and ground vegetation removal (mechanical site preparation with disc trenching) on the number of naturally germinated pine seedlings and survival of individual seedlings over a period of 8 to 11 years. Bare mineral soil was a superior seedbed compared to intact vegetation cover, even though the mortality rate was high on mineral soil. Greater cover of lingonberry, crowberry, and slash had a negative effect on seedling number. Seedling mortality was initially high (60% died during the first 2 years) but decreased throughout the first 5 years. The survival rate of seedlings located in the mineral soil of the upper part of the disc trencher track was twice as high as that of seedlings located in the lower part of the track. High coverage of hair mosses (Polytrichum spp.) was associated with poorer seedling survival. An overstory density of 50-150 trees.ha(-1) with site preparation seems to be an efficient treatment to promote regeneration under these circumstances.Peer reviewe
Use of tetravalent galabiose for inhibition of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infection in a mouse model
Peer reviewe
Two-dimensional readout of GEM detectors
The recently introduced Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) permits the amplification of electrons released by ionizing radiation in a gas by factors approaching ten thousand, larger gains can be obtained combining two GEMs in cascade. We describe methods for implementing two- and three-dimensional projective localization of radiation, with sub-millimeter accuracy, making use of specially manufactured and patterned pick-up electrodes. Easy to implement and flexible in the choice of the readout geometry, the technology has the distinctive advantage of allowing all pick-up electrodes to be kept at ground potential, thus substantially improving the system simplicity and reliability. Preliminary results demonstrating the two-dimensional imaging capability of the devices are provided and discussed, as well as future perspectives of development
Fermion family recurrences in the Dyson-Schwinger formalism
We study the multiple solutions of the truncated propagator Dyson-Schwinger
equation for a simple fermion theory with Yukawa coupling to a scalar field.
Upon increasing the coupling constant , other parameters being fixed, more
than one non-perturbative solution breaking chiral symmetry becomes possible
and we find these numerically. These ``recurrences'' appear as a mechanism to
generate different fermion generations as quanta of the same fundamental field
in an interacting field theory, without assuming any composite structure. The
number of recurrences or flavors is reduced to a question about the value of
the Yukawa coupling, and has no special profound significance in the Standard
Model. The resulting mass function can have one or more nodes and the
measurement that potentially detects them can be thought of as a collider-based
test of the virtual dispersion relation for the charged
lepton member of each family. This requires three independent measurements of
the charged lepton's energy, three-momentum and off-shellness. We illustrate
how this can be achieved for the (more difficult) case of the tau lepton
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