Novel photon timing techniques applied to the LHCb RICH upgrade programme

The Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors at LHCb have an intrinsic time resolution of better than 10 ps owing to the prompt Cherenkov radiation and focusing mirrors optics. While only spatial information has been used in the experiment to date, the addition of photon time information is one of the cornerstones of the future RICH upgrade programme. The novel timing techniques provide a powerful tool for background suppression and particle ID performance improvements. Here, developments to implement fast-timing in the front-end electronics are presented.Comment: 4 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in the proceedings of TIPP 2021 to be published in Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Sub-nanosecond Cherenkov photon detection for LHCb particle identification in high-occupancy conditions and semiconductor tracking for muon scattering tomography

The increase in luminosity during the LHC upgrade programme causes a challenging rise in track multiplicity and hit occupancy in the LHCb detector. In order to mitigate this effect, the use of photon detector hit time information is presented in the context of the Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors. The application of a time gate in the FPGA of the digital readout board for the Upgrade Ia photon detector, which is being installed for LHC Run 3, is described. Data recorded during SPS charged particle beam tests using a 6.25 ns time gate show a reduction of up to a factor of four in asynchronous detector noise compared to the original 25ns readout. A time-walk correction based on the time-over- threshold is proposed. Using the LHCb simulation framework, the intrinsic time resolution of the RICH detectors is demonstrated to be less than 10 ps. This is particularly relevant for the LHCb Upgrade II, which is scheduled for the year 2030 in preparation for a further order- of-magnitude rise in luminosity. Methods of time gating and scaling of the signal amplitude in the RICH reconstruction likelihood maximisation algorithm are presented. The results show that, considering improvements in the time-resolution only, a photon detector with an approximately 50 ps resolution can achieve today’s particle ID performance in the high- luminosity LHC environment. In the second part of this thesis, the first published semiconductor tracker for cosmic-ray muon scattering tomography is presented. The tracker uses silicon strip sensors from the ATLAS Semiconductor Tracker (SCT) with an 80μm pitch. A novel electronic readout system for the sensors is designed, based on a scalable, inexpensive, flexible, FPGA-based solution. A high-precision mechanical structure with integrated cooling is built to align the SCT modules. This alignment is fine-tuned in software, and the tracker performance is compared with a Geant4 simulation. A scattering angle resolution compatible with 1.5 mrad at the 4 GeV average cosmic-ray muon energy is obtained. Data are recorded for plastic, iron and lead samples using 45000 muons. Images are reconstructed using the Angle Statistics Reconstruction algorithm, and demonstrate good contrast between low and high atomic number materials

A Randomized Trial of Intravenous Alteplase before Endovascular Treatment for Stroke

The value of administering intravenous alteplase before endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke has not been studied extensively, particularly in non-Asian populations. METHODS We performed an open-label, multicenter, randomized trial in Europe involving patients with stroke who presented directly to a hospital that was capable of providing EVT and who were eligible for intravenous alteplase and EVT. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive EVT alone or intravenous alteplase followed by EVT (the standard of care). The primary end point was functional outcome on the modified Rankin scale (range, 0 [no disability] to 6 [death]) at 90 days. We assessed the superiority of EVT alone over alteplase plus EVT, as well as noninferiority by a margin of 0.8 for the lower boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the odds ratio of the two trial groups. Death from any cause and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage were the main safety end points. RESULTS The analysis included 539 patients. The median score on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days was 3 (interquartile range, 2 to 5) with EVT alone and 2 (interquartile range, 2 to 5) with alteplase plus EVT. The adjusted common odds ratio was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 1.15; P=0.28), which showed neither superiority nor noninferiority of EVT alone. Mortality was 20.5% with EVT alone and 15.8% with alteplase plus EVT (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.84 to 2.30). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 5.9% and 5.3% of the patients in the respective groups (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.60 to 2.81). CONCLUSIONS In a randomized trial involving European patients, EVT alone was neither superior nor noninferior to intravenous alteplase followed by EVT with regard to disability outcome at 90 days after stroke. The incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was similar in the two groups

A novel fast-timing readout chain for LHCb RICH LS3 and prototype beam tests

The prompt Cherenkov radiation and focusing optics of the LHCb RICH detectors allow the prediction of the Cherenkov photon detection time from a given charged particle to within 10ps. Fast-timing information on the detected Cherenkov photons can therefore be used to significantly improve the particle identification (PID) performance and the signal-to-background ratio of the detectors. This concept is a cornerstone for the LHCb RICH detector upgrades and will ultimately allow the system to operate at a luminosity in excess of 1034cm−2s−1 during HL-LHC Run 5. A new electronic readout chain is proposed for the LHC Long Shutdown 3 (LS3, 2026-2028) using the FastRICH, a novel ASIC under development. The specifications for the FastRICH are discussed in the context of the LS3 enhancements and LHCb Upgrade II. The FastRICH will perform multi-channel single-photon discrimination, timestamp photons with 25 ps bin size, integrate closely with the LHCb optical link chipset and apply data-compression techniques. The detector will be capable of timestamping each photon with 150ps resolution dominated by the existing Multianode Photomultiplier Tube (MAPMT) transit-time spread. The new electronic readout chain introduces important timing and detector techniques ahead of the Upgrade II RICH system overhaul and the FastRICH has the flexibility to be coupled to sensors with better time resolution for HL-LHC Run 5. Simulation studies have demonstrated improvements in the hadronic PID performance during Run 4 using the FastRICH coupled to MAPMTs. A first version of the readout chain, based on the FastIC, a predecessor of the FastRICH, and a TDC-in-FPGA, has been studied using Cherenkov photons at the CERN SPS charged particle beam test facility

Prospects for using sub-nanosecond time information to improve the LHCb RICH performance

The increase in luminosity during the LHC upgrade programme causes a rise in particle multiplicity and hit occupancy in the LHCb detector. To mitigate this effect for the Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors, it is proposed to use the photon detector hit time information. The excellent intrinsic time resolution of the RICH detectors of less than 10 ps was demonstrated in the LHCb simulation framework. The FPGA in the RICH detector readout chain includes a programmable time gate of 3 to 6 ns, which will be fine-tuned with the first data in 2021. This nanosecond time gate within the 25 ns readout is unprecedented in the LHC and will reduce background. During Upgrade Ib, the electronic readout chain can be modified or replaced in order to achieve a time resolution around 300 ps. For the high-luminosity environment during LHC Run 5, a further improvement in time resolution to approximately 50 to 100 ps is foreseen. The clear trend of improving particle ID performance with time resolution is presented in this poster

Novel photon timing techniques in the LHCb RICH upgrade programme

The Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors at LHCb have an excellent intrinsic time resolution owing to the prompt Cherenkov radiation and focusing mirrors optics. While only spatial information has been used in the experiment to date, the addition of photon time information is one of the cornerstones of the RICH upgrade programme. The novel timing techniques presented on this poster provide a powerful tool for background suppression and particle ID performance improvements using state of the art electronics

Proposal for LHCb RICH detector enhancements during LHC Long Shutdown 3

The prompt Cherenkov radiation and focusing optics of the RICH detectors result in time characteristics which are unique among large-volume detector systems. The time-of-arrival at the photon detectors of the Cherenkov photons corresponding to a given primary vertex can be predicted to within ten picoseconds. This property can be used to significantly improve the signal to noise ratio and thereby the PID performance of the detector and will ultimately allow the present system to withstand luminosities in excess of $10^{34}cm^{-2}s^{-1}$. To this end, we propose to integrate a new readout ASIC, the FastRICH, into the present system during the Long Shutdown 3 (LS3, 2026-2028). This will allow the system to timestamp each photon with an approximately 150 ps time resolution within a short gate of about 2 ns. This enhancement can be achieved at a limited cost, prepares for the Upgrade II RICH system overhaul and improves the hadronic PID performance for the physics programme of LHCb during Run 4

Study of new aerogel radiators for the LHCb RICH upgrade

As a part of the LHCb RICH Future upgrades experimental program, we studied hydrophobic aerogel tiles from Chiba University during the 2021 CERN SPS testbeam. In a 180 GeV/c proton beam, we tested aerogels with different refractive indices and different thicknesses. The Cherenkov light radiated from aerogel tiles was focused by a lens and registered by an array of MAPMTs. The number of detected photons per Cherenkov ring for a 2 cm thick aerogel tile with refractive index of 1.03 was around eight and in good agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation. We estimate the photon production yield to be about 50 photons/cm

Flood Water Hydrochemistry Patterns Suggest Floodplain Sink Function for Dissolved Solids from the Songkhram Monsoon River (Thailand)

Although important for the eco-hydrological functioning of the floodplain, the interactions between river and floodplain are not well understood, especially for rivers in the tropical monsoon region. To explore the floodplain functioning of a tropical monsoon river system the longitudinal and transverse floodwater hydrochemical characteristics were studied in the Songkhram river (Thailand) and its floodplains. Water samples were taken during the monsoon period from 61 locations in the river and on its floodplain. Analysis of floodwater hydrochemistry revealed a significant decreasing longitudinal trend for most dissolved solids, attributable to geological differences. We also observed a significant decreasing transverse trend from river to floodplain. Nutrient concentrations revealed lower dissolved nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium concentrations on the floodplain than in the river channel, which suggests the floodplain functions as a sink for nutrients and chemical species in the river floodwater. This sink function may be related to the presence of a belt of bamboo separating the river from the floodplain, which seems to acts as a sediment trap and nutrient filter, but this needs to be verified by additional dedicated research