47 research outputs found
Development of a novel neutron detection technique by using a boron layer coating a Charge Coupled Device
This article describes the design features and the first test measurements obtained during the installation of a novel high resolution 2D neutron detection technique. The technique proposed in this work consists of a boron layer (enriched in 10B) placed on a scientific Charge Coupled Device (CCD). After the nuclear reaction 10B(n,α)7Li, the CCD detects the emitted charge particles thus obtaining information on the neutron absorption position. The above-mentioned ionizing particles, with energies in the range 0.5-5.5MeV, produce a plasma effect in the CCD which is recorded as a circular spot. This characteristic circular shape, as well as the relationship observed between the spot diameter and the charge collected, is used for the event recognition, allowing the discrimination of undesirable gamma events. We present the first results recently obtained with this technique, which has the potential to perform neutron tomography investigations with a spatial resolution better than that previously achieved. Numerical simulations indicate that the spatial resolution of this technique will be about 15 μm, and the intrinsic detection efficiency for thermal neutrons will be about 3%. We compare the proposed technique with other neutron detection techniques and analyze its advantages and disadvantages.Fil: Blostein, Juan Jeronimo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; ArgentinaFil: Estrada, Juan. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Tartaglione, Aureliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Sofo Haro, Miguel Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Moroni, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; ArgentinaFil: Cancelo, Gustavo Indalecio Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados Unido
A Sub-Electron-Noise Multi-Channel Cryogenic Skipper-CCD Readout ASIC
The \emph{MIDNA} application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is a
skipper-CCD readout chip fabricated in a 65 nm LP-CMOS process that is capable
of working at cryogenic temperatures. The chip integrates four front-end
channels that process the skipper-CCD signal and performs differential
averaging using a dual slope integration (DSI) circuit. Each readout channel
contains a pre-amplifier, a DC restorer, and a dual-slope integrator with
chopping capability. The integrator chopping is a key system design element in
order to mitigate the effect of low-frequency noise produced by the integrator
itself, and it is not often required with standard CCDs. Each channel consumes
4.5 mW of power, occupies 0.156 mm area and has an input referred noise
of 2.7. It is demonstrated experimentally to achieve
sub-electron noise when coupled with a skipper-CCD by means of averaging
samples of each pixel. Sub-electron noise is shown in three different
acquisition approaches. The signal range is 6000 electrons. The readout system
achieves 0.2 RMS by averaging 1000 samples with MIDNA both at room
temperature and at 180 Kelvin
SENSEI: First Direct-Detection Constraints on sub-GeV Dark Matter from a Surface Run
The Sub-Electron-Noise Skipper CCD Experimental Instrument (SENSEI) uses the
recently developed Skipper-CCD technology to search for electron recoils from
the interaction of sub-GeV dark matter particles with electrons in silicon. We
report first results from a prototype SENSEI detector, which collected 0.019
gram-days of commissioning data above ground at Fermi National Accelerator
Laboratory. These commissioning data are sufficient to set new direct-detection
constraints for dark matter particles with masses between ~500 keV and 4 MeV.
Moreover, since these data were taken on the surface, they disfavor previously
allowed strongly interacting dark matter particles with masses between ~500 keV
and a few hundred MeV. We discuss the implications of these data for several
dark matter candidates, including one model proposed to explain the anomalously
large 21-cm signal observed by the EDGES Collaboration. SENSEI is the first
experiment dedicated to the search for electron recoils from dark matter, and
these results demonstrate the power of the Skipper-CCD technology for dark
matter searches.Comment: 5 pages + references, 4 figures, 1 table. V2 has additional
references and minor clarifications. Published in PR
Soft X-rays spectroscopy with a commercial CMOS image sensor at room temperature
Besides their application in point and shoot cameras, webcams, and cell phones, it has been shown that CMOS image sensors (CIS) can be used for dosimetry, X-ray and neutron imaging applications. In this work we will discuss the application of an ON Semiconductor MT9M001 CIS, in low energy X-ray spectroscopy. The device is a monochromatic front-side illuminated sensor, very popular in consumer electronics. In this work we introduce the configuration selected for the mentioned sensor, the image processing techniques and event selection criteria, implemented in order to measure the X-ray energy in the range from 1-10 keV. Several fluorescence lines of different samples have been resolved, and for first time the line resolution have been measured and analyzed. We achieved a FWHM of 232 eV at 6.4 keV, and we concluded that incomplete charge collection (ICC) of the charge produced by the X-ray contributes to the resolution, being this effect more important at higher X-ray energies. The results analyzed in this work indicate that the mentioned CIS are specially suitable for X-ray applications in which energy and spatial resolutions are simultaneously required.Fil: Sofo Haro, Miguel Francisco. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Alcalde Bessia, Fabricio Pablo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Martín. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Blostein, Juan Jeronimo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Balmaceda, Darío Federico. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; ArgentinaFil: Gomez Berisso, Mariano. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Lipovetzky, José. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Instituto Balseiro; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentin
DAMIC at SNOLAB
We introduce the fully-depleted charge-coupled device (CCD) as a particle
detector. We demonstrate its low energy threshold operation, capable of
detecting ionizing energy depositions in a single pixel down to 50 eVee. We
present results of energy calibrations from 0.3 keVee to 60 keVee, showing that
the CCD is a fully active detector with uniform energy response throughout the
silicon target, good resolution (Fano ~0.16), and remarkable linear response to
electron energy depositions. We show the capability of the CCD to localize the
depth of particle interactions within the silicon target. We discuss the mode
of operation and unique imaging capabilities of the CCD, and how they may be
exploited to characterize and suppress backgrounds. We present the first
results from the deployment of 250 um thick CCDs in SNOLAB, a prototype for the
upcoming DAMIC100. DAMIC100 will have a target mass of 0.1 kg and should be
able to directly test the CDMS-Si signal within a year of operation.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, proceedings prepared for 13th International
Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP2013
Low threshold acquisition controller for Skipper charge-coupled devices
The development of the Skipper-charge-coupled devices (Skipper-CCDs) has been a major technological breakthrough for sensing very weak ionizing particles. The sensor allows to reach the ultimate sensitivity of silicon material as a charge signal sensor by unambiguous determination of the charge signal collected by each cell or pixel, even for single electron-hole pair ionization. Extensive use of the technology was limited by the lack of specific equipment to operate the sensor at the ultimate performance. A simple, single-board Skipper-CCD controller designed by the authors is presented and aimed for the operation of the detector in high sensitivity scientific applications. Our article describes the main components and functionality of the so-called low threshold acquisition controller together with experimental results when connected to a Skipper-CCD sensor. Measurements show unprecedented deep subelectron noise of 0.039 erms-/pix by nondestructively measuring the charge 5000 times in each pixel.Fil: Cancelo, Gustavo Indalecio. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Chavez, Claudio. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; ParaguayFil: Chierchie, Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; ArgentinaFil: Estrada, Juan. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Fernández Moroni, Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; Argentina. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Paolini, Eduardo Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; ArgentinaFil: Sofo Haro, Miguel Francisco. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Idehesi-inst Mult Est Soc Contem (uncuyo); ArgentinaFil: Soto, Angel Jose. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; ArgentinaFil: Stefanazzi, Leandro. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages". Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Eléctrica "Alfredo Desages"; ArgentinaFil: Tiffenberg, Javier Sebastian. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Treptow, Ken. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Wilcer, Neal. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Zmuda, Ted. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados Unido