The Successful Operation of Hole-type Gaseous Detectors at Cryogenic Temperatures

We have demonstrated that hole-type gaseous detectors, GEMs and capillary plates, can operate up to 77 K. For example, a single capillary plate can operate at gains of above 10E3 in the entire temperature interval between 300 until 77 K. The same capillary plate combined with CsI photocathodes could operate perfectly well at gains (depending on gas mixtures) of 100-1000. Obtained results may open new fields of applications for capillary plates as detectors of UV light and charge particles at cryogenic temperatures: noble liquid TPCs, WIMP detectors or LXe scintillating calorimeters and cryogenic PETs.Comment: Presented at the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Roma, 200

Study of capillary-based gaseous detectors

We have studied gain vs. voltage characteristics and position resolutions of multistep capillary plates (two or three capillary plates operating in a cascade), as well as capillary plates operating in a mode when the main amplification occurs between plates or between the capillary plate and the readout plate (parallel plate amplification mode). Results of these studies demonstrated that in the parallel-plate amplification mode one can reach both high gains (>100000) and good position resolutions (~100 micro meter) even with a single step arrangement. It offers a compact amplification structure, which can be used in many applications. For example, in preliminary tests we succeeded to combine it with a photocathode and use it as a position sensitive gaseous photomultiplier. CsI coated capillary plates could also be used as a high position resolution and high rate X-ray converter.Comment: Presented at the NSS IEEE 2003 conference in Portland, submitted to TN

A Study of the Operation of Especially Designed Photosensitive Gaseous Detectors at Cryogenic Temperatures

In some experiments and applications there is need for large-area photosensitive detectors to operate at cryogenic temperatures. Nowadays, vacuum PMs are usually used for this purpose. We have developed special designs of planar photosensitive gaseous detectors able to operate at cryogenic temperatures. Such detectors are much cheaper PMs and are almost insensitive to magnetic fields. Results of systematic measurements of their quantum efficiencies, the maximum achievable gains and long-term stabilities will be presented. The successful operation of these detectors open realistic possibilities in replacing PMs by photosensitive gaseous detectors in some applications dealing with cryogenic liquids; for example in experiments using noble liquid TPCs or noble liquid scintillating calorimeters.Comment: Submitted to the Nuclear Instruments and Method

A High Position Resolution X-ray Detector: an Edge on Illuminated Capillary Plate Combined with a Gas Amplification Structure

We have developed and successfully tested a prototype of a new type of high position resolution hybrid X-ray detector. It contains a thin wall lead glass capillary plate converter of X-rays combined with a microgap parallel-plate avalanche chamber filled with gas at 1 atm. The operation of these converters was studied in a wide range of X-ray energies (from 6 to 60 keV) at incident angles varying from 0-90 degree. The detection efficiency, depending on the geometry, photon energy, incident angle and the mode of operation, was between 5-30 percent in a single step mode and up to 50 percent in a multi-layered combination. Depending on the capillary geometry, the position resolution achieved was between 0.050-0.250 mm in digital form and was practically independent of the photon energy or gas mixture. The usual lead glass capillary plates operated without noticeable charging up effects at counting rates of 50 Hz/mm2, and hydrogen treated capillaries up to 10E5 Hz/mm2. The developed detector may open new possibilities for medical imaging, for example in mammography, portal imaging, radiography (including security devices), crystallography and many other applications.Comment: Presented at the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Roma, Octber 200

The development of gaseous detectors with solid photocathodes for low temperature

There are several applications and fundamental research areas which require the detection of VUV light at cryogenic temperatures. For these applications we have developed and successfully tested special designs of gaseous detectors with solid photocathodes able to operate at low temperatures: sealed gaseous detectors with MgF2 windows and windowless detectors. We have experimentally demonstrated, that both primary and secondary (due to the avalanche multiplication inside liquids) scintillation lights could be recorded by photosensitive gaseous detectors. The results of this work may allow one to significantly improve the operation of some noble liquid gas TPCs.Comment: Presented at the X Vienna Conference on Instumentation, Vienna, February 200

The Development and Study of High-Position Resolution (50 micron) RPCs for Imaging X-rays and UV photons

Nowadays, commonly used Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) have counting rate capabilities of ~10E4Hz/cm2 and position resolutions of ~1cm. We have developed small prototypes of RPCs (5x5 and 10x10cm2) having rate capabilities of up to 10E7Hz/cm2 and position resolutions of 50 micron("on line" without application of any treatment method like "center of gravity"). The breakthrough in achieving extraordinary rate and position resolutions was only possible after solving several serious problems: RPC cleaning and assembling technology, aging, spurious pulses and afterpulses, discharges in the amplification gap and along the spacers. High-rate, high-position resolution RPCs can find a wide range of applications in many different fields, for example in medical imaging. RPCs with the cathodes coated by CsI photosensitive layer can detect ultraviolet photons with a position resolution that is better than ~30 micron. Such detectors can also be used in many applications, for example in the focal plane of high resolution vacuum spectrographs or as image scanners.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, other comment

Photosensitive Gaseous Detectors for Cryogenic Temperature Applications

There are several proposals and projects today for building LXe Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) for dark matter search. An important element of these TPCs are the photomultipliers operating either inside LXe or in vapors above the liquid. We have recently demonstrated that photosensitive gaseous detectors (wire type and hole-type) can operate perfectly well until temperatures of LN2. In this paper results of systematic studies of operation of the photosensitive version of these detectors (combined with reflective or semi-transparent CsI photocathodes) in the temperature interval of 300-150 K are presented. In particular, it was demonstrated that both sealed and flushed by a gas detectors could operate at a quite stable fashion in a year/time scale. Obtained results, in particular the long-term stability of photosensitive gaseous detectors, strongly indicate that they can be cheap and simple alternatives to photomultipliers or avalanche solid-state detectors in LXe TPC applications.Comment: Submitted to the Proceedings of the PSD-7 Conf. in Liverpool, U

Evaluation of various planar gaseous detectors with CsI photocathodes for the detection of primary scintillation light from noble gases

Noble gases and liquids are excellent scintillators and this opens a unique opportunity to directly detect the primary scintillation light produced in these media by photons or particles. This signal can be used for several purposes, for example as a start signal for TPCs or for particles identification. Usually photomultipliers (PMs) are used for the detection of the scintillation light. In our previous work we have demonstrated that costly PMs could be replaced by gaseous detectors with CsI photocathodes . Such detectors have the same quantum efficiency as the best PMs but at the same time are cheap, simple and have high position and time resolutions. The aim of this work is to evaluate various planar type gaseous detectors with CsI photocahodes in order to choose the best one for the detection of the primary scintillation light from noble gases and liquids