BESⅢ ETOF upgrade readout electronics commissioning

It is proposed to upgrade the endcap time-of-flight(ETOF) of the Beijing Spectrometer Ⅲ(BESⅢ) with a multi-gap resistive plate chamber(MRPC), aiming at an overall time resolution of about 80 ps. After completing the entire readout electronics system, some experiments, such as heat radiation, radiation hardness and large-current beam tests, have been carried out to confirm the reliability and stability of the readout electronics. An on-detector test of the readout electronics has also been performed with the beam at the BEPCⅡ E3 line. The test results indicate that the readout electronics system fulfills its design requirements.     

Prototype of time digitizing system for BESⅢ endcap TOF upgrade

The prototype of a time digitizing system for the BESⅢ endcap TOF (ETOF) upgrade is introduced in this paper. The ETOF readout electronics has a distributed architecture. Hit signals from the multi-gap resistive plate chamber (MRPC) are signaled as LVDS by front-end electronics (FEE) and are then sent to the back-end time digitizing system via long shield differential twisted pair cables. The ETOF digitizing system consists of two VME crates, each of which contains modules for time digitization, clock, trigger, fast control, etc. The time digitizing module (TDIG) of this prototype can support up to 72 electrical channels for hit information measurement. The fast control (FCTL) module can operate in barrel or endcap mode. The barrel FCTL fans out fast control signals from the trigger system to the endcap FCTLs, merges data from the endcaps and then transfers to the trigger system. Without modifying the barrel TOF (BTOF) structure, this time digitizing architecture benefits from improved ETOF performance without degrading the BTOF performance. Lab experiments show that the time resolution of this digitizing system can be lower than 20 ps, and the data throughput to the DAQ can be about 92 Mbps. Beam experiments show that the total time resolution can be lower than 45 ps.     

A prototype MRPC beam test for the BESⅢ ETOF upgrade

A prototype multi-gap resistive plate chamber (MRPC) with a 2×6 gap structure is developed for the upgrading of the endcap time-of-flight (ETOF) detector in the Beijing Spectrometer (BESⅢ). The prototype MRPC is tested in the E3 beam line of the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC) with secondary charged particles (π and p, etc) of 600 MeV/c. The test results show that the time resolution of the MRPC can reach 50 ps and that the detection efficiency is greater than 98%.     

Cosmic ray test for a T0 detector

The endcap of time-of-flight (ETOF) detector in BES (Beijing Spectrometer) III is planned to be upgraded by using multi-gap resistive plate chambers (MRPCs) and the designed time resolution of the MRPCs is around 50 ps. Thus a time-zero (T0) detector needs to be built to offer a high quality reference time for the MRPCs beam test. So a T0 detector is built using plastic scintillator tiles (BC420) to couple with four fast phototubes (PMTs, Hamamatsu H6533). The timing properties of the detector is studied by using a cosmic ray test and factors related to the time resolution, such as plastic scintillator size, readout mode and angle effects, are discussed. T0 detector timing resolutions of ～41-62 ps are achieved, which means that the T0 detector can be used in the MRPC beam test.     

Primary vertex reconstruction based on the Kalman filter technique at BESⅢ

Primary vertex reconstruction is crucial to estimate the beam profile in collision experiments. We study the principle of an iterative process, called the Kalman filter method, and apply it to primary vertex reconstruction at BESⅢ. A Newton procedure to find the zero point of the distance function's gradient is used for primary vertex finding in 3-dimensional space. Results are obtained based on raw data at BESⅢ.     

Primary vertex reconstruction based on the Kalman filter technique at BESⅢ

Primary vertex reconstruction is crucial to estimate the beam profile in collision experiments. We study the principle of an iterative process, called the Kalman filter method, and apply it to primary vertex reconstruction at BESⅢ. A Newton procedure to find the zero point of the distance function＇s gradient is used for primary vertex finding in 3-dimensional space. Results are obtained based on raw data at BESⅢ.     

Study of 2D interpolating readout for a micro-pattern gaseous detector

The two-dimensional interpolating readout, a new readout concept based on resistive anode structure, was studied for the micro-pattern gaseous detector. Within its high spatial resolution, the interpolating resistive readout structure leads to an enormous reduction of electronic channels compared with pure pixel devices, and also makes the detector more reliable and robust, which is attributed to its resistive anode relieving discharge. A GEM (gaseous electron multiplier) detector with 2D interpolating resistive readout structure was set up and the performance of the detector was studied with 55Fe 5.9 keV X-ray. The detector worked stably at the gain up to 3.5 × 104 without any discharge. An energy resolution of about 19%, and a spatial resolution of about 219 μm (FWHM) were reached, and good imaging performance was also obtained.     

Performance testing of a long-strip two-end readout multi-gap resistive plate chamber

Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chamber （MRPC） is a new generation of gas detector with good timing and spacial resolution, whose technique is widely applied in some recent high energy （nuclear） physics experiments. In this letter, we report a long-strip two-end readout MRPC and its test beam performance. The measurements show that the long-strip performs a transmission line characteristic and the impedance is independent of the length of strip. The MRPC module we developed is presented to gain a timing resolution of -80 ps and a spacial resolution of -6.4 mm. The possible application of the MRPC is also discussed.     

Development of front-end readout electronics for silicon strip detectors

Front-end readout electronics have been developed for silicon strip detectors at our institute. In this system an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) ATHED is used to realize multi-channel energy and time measurements. The slow control of ASIC chips is achieved by parallel port and the timing control signals of ASIC chips are implemented with the CPLD. The data acquisition is carried out with a PXI-DAQ card. The software has a user-friendly GUI developed with LabWindows/CVI in the Windows XP operating system. The test results show that the energy resolution is about 1.14% for alpha at 5.48 MeV and the maximum channel crosstalk of the system is 4.60%. The performance of the system is very reliable and is suitable for nuclear physics experiments.     

Simple design flow injection PMMA acrylic sample cell for nitrite determination

A polymethyl-methacrylate(PMMA)acrylic sample cell using flow injection is developed in this research for the determination of nitrite in an aqueous media.The research focuses on exhibiting direct absorbance spectrophotometry of nitrite using concentration of samples ranging from 0.1078 to 1.725 ppm.Nitrite determination is done colorimetrically using the Greiss reagent method.This method is based on the reaction of nitrite with sulphanilamide acid and N-1-napthylamine(NED)utilizing diazo coupling,and a syringe is used to administer the nitrite solution.The sample cell being used possesses a diameter of 1mm with an overall size of 7.35×22 mm2.To gauge the direct absorbance,a wavelength range from 400to 650 nm has been selected for the testing,and the maximum absorbance is found to be at 545 nm.The validity of the proposed cell is explained in this letter.     

Monte Carlo tuning for the BESⅢ time-of-flight system

Using experimental data, Monte Carlo tuning is implemented for performance parameters associated with the scintillation counters and readout electronics of the BESⅢ time-of-flight(TOF) system, as part of the full simulation model. The implementation of the tuning is described for simulations designed to reproduce the performance of a number of TOF system parameters, including pulse height, hit efficiency, time resolution, dead channels and background. In addition, comparisons with experimental data are presented.     

A data readout approach for physics experiments

With increasing physical event rates and the number of electronic channels, traditional readout schemes meet the challenge of improving readout speed caused by the limited bandwidth of the crate backplane. In this paper, a high-speed data readout method based on the Ethernet is presented to make each readout module capable of transmitting data to the DAQ. Features of explicitly parallel data transmitting and distributed network architecture give the readout system the advantage of adapting varying requirements of particle physics experiments. Furthermore, to guarantee the readout performance and flexibility, a standalone embedded CPU system is utilized for network protocol stack processing. To receive the customized data format and protocol from front-end electronics, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) is used for logic reconfiguration. To optimize the interface and to improve the data throughput between CPU and FPGA, a sophisticated method based on SRAM is presented in this paper. For the purpose of evaluating this high-speed readout method, a simplified readout module is designed and implemented. Test results show that this module can support up to 70 Mbps data throughput from the readout module to DAQ.     

Development of series SQUID array with on-chip filter for TES detector

A cold preamplifier based on superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUIDs)is currently the preferred readout technology for the low-noise transition edge sensor(TES).In this work,we have designed and fabricated a series SQUID array(SSA)amplifier for the TES detector readout circuit.In this SSA amplifier,each SQUID cell is composed of a first-order gradiometer formed using two equally large square washers,and an on-chip low pass filter(LPF)as a radiofrequency(RF)choke has been developed to reduce the Josephson oscillation interference between individual SQUID cells.In addition,a highly symmetric layout has been designed carefully to provide a fully consistent embedded electromagnetic environment and achieve coherent flux operation.The measured results show smooth V-Φcharacteristics and a swing voltage that increases linearly with increasing SQUID cell number N.A white flux noise level as low as 0.28μφ;/Hz;is achieved at 0.1 K,corresponding to a low current noise level of 7 pA/Hz;.We analyze the measured noise contribution at mK-scale temperatures and find that the dominant noise derives from a combination of the SSA intrinsic noise and the equivalent current noise of the room temperature electronics.     

High-Density Read-Only Memory Disc with Ag11In12Sb51Te26 Super-Resolution Mask Layer

A novel read-only memory (ROM) disc with an Ag11ln12Sb51Te26 super-resolution mask layer is proposed and investigated for the first time to our knowledge. The carrier-to-noise ratio of more than 40 dB could be obtained from small pits (380nm), which are below the readout resolution limit (400nm), in our dynamic setup with a wavelength of 632.8 nm and numerical aperture of 0.40. Dependences of carrier-to-noise ratio on readout power,readout velocity and film thickness are studied. The results show that the optimum film thickness is 20-50nm and the corresponding carrier-to-noise ratio is more than 40dB at readout power of 4mW and readout velocity of 2m/s in our experiment. The super-resolution readout mechanism for this ROM disc is also discussed.     

Investigation of high resolution compact gamma camera module based on a continuous scintillation crystal using a novel charge division readout method

The objective of this study is to investigate a high performance and lower cost compact gamma camera module for a multi-head small animal SPECT system. A compact camera module was developed using a thin Lutetium Oxyorthosilicate （LSO） scintillation crystal slice coupled to a Hamamatsu H8500 position sensitive photomultiplier tube （PSPMT）. A two-stage charge division readout board based on a novel subtractive resistive readout with a truncated center-of-gravity （TCOG） positioning method was developed for the camera. The performance of the camera was evaluated using a flood 99roTe source with a four-quadrant bar-mask phantom. The preliminary experimental results show that the image shrinkage problem associated with the conventional resistive readout can be effectively overcome by the novel subtractive resistive readout with an appropriate fraction subtraction factor. The response output area （ROA） of the camera shown in the flood image was improved up to 34%, and an intrinsic spatial resolution better than 2 mm of detector was achieved. In conclusion, the utilization of a continuous scintillation crystal and a flat-panel PSPMT equipped with a novel subtractive resistive readout is a feasible approach for developing a high performance and lower cost compact gamma camera.     

Study of time resolution by digital methods with a DRS4 module

A new Digital Pulse Processing(DPP) module has been developed, based on a domino ring sampler version 4 chip(DRS4), with good time resolution for La Br3 detectors, and different digital timing analysis methods for processing the raw detector signals are reported. The module, composed of an eight channel DRS4 chip, was used as the readout electronics and acquisition system to process the output signals from XP20D0 photomultiplier tubes(PMTs). Two PMTs were coupled with La Br3 scintillators and placed on opposite sides of a radioactive positron22 Na source for 511 ke V γ-ray tests. By analyzing the raw data acquired by the module, the best coincidence timing resolution is about 194.7 ps(FWHM), obtained by the digital constant fraction discrimination(d CFD) method,which is better than other digital methods and analysis methods based on conventional analog systems which have been tested. The results indicate that it is a promising approach to better localize the positron annihilation in positron emission tomography(PET) with time of flight(TOF), as well as for scintillation timing measurement,such as in TOF-?E and TOF-E systems for particle identification, with picosecond accuracy timing measurement.Furthermore, this module is more simple and convenient than other systems.     

Investigation on temperature characteristics of weak fiber Bragg gratings in a wide range

A weak fiber Bragg grating(WFBG) is an ideal quasi-distributed optical fiber sensor. Special attention should be paid to the spectrum and sensing performance of the WFBG at extreme temperatures due to its poor reflection intensity. In this Letter, the temperature characteristics of the WFBG from-252.75°C to 200.94°C are experimentally investigated. Five WFBGs with reflectivity from ~0.25% to ~10% are used in the experiments. The reflectivity variations and wavelength shifts at different temperatures are studied. Experimental results show that the WFBG can survive and work at extreme temperatures, but the performance is affected significantly.The reflectivity is affected significantly by both cryogenic temperature and high temperature. The temperature responses of Bragg wavelengths in the wide temperature range are also obtained.     

Design and implementation of the detector control system for the BESⅢ drift chamber cosmic ray test

After the construction of the BESⅢ drift chamber, a long period of cosmic rays test is necessary to verify its performance. This also provides a good opportunity to integrate the detector readout electronics and Detector Control System (DCS) into a unified working system. The goal of the DCS is to guarantee reliable physics data quality and the safe operation of the detector. It monitors and controls the HV, gas, VME crates and the nvironmental variables. The upper-level system is mainly developed from LabVIEW and the lower-level system mainly uses MCU and PLC technology. The system is designed to be highly flexible and scalable so that it can be applied to other detectors with little or no change. In the immediate future, it will be integrated into the entire BESⅢ Slow Control System.     

Track reconstruction in the BESⅢ muon counter

The reconstruction algorithm for BESⅢ Muon Counter, MucRecAlg, is developed with the objectoriented language C＋＋ in BESⅢ offine software environment. MucRecAlg consists of the following functions：to find track seeds either from extrapolation of tracks in the main drift chamber or from the fired strips in muon counter, to select fired strips associated to the candidate tracks, to fit the candidate tracks with a linear or quadratic function and to calculate other parameters of the tracks for muon identification. Monte Carlo samples are generated to check the performance of the reconstruction package, such as reconstruction effciency, muon remaining rate and pion rejection rate, etc. The preliminary results show that the pion rejection rate is around 3%—4% while the muon remaining rate is better than 90% in 0.4—1.6 GeV/c momentum region, which meets the requirement as shown in the design report.     

Coherence transfer from 1064 nm to 578 nm using an optically referenced frequency comb

A laser at 578 nm is phase-locked to an optical frequency comb(OFC) which is optically referenced to a subhertzlinewidth laser at 1064 nm. Coherence is transferred from 1064 nm to 578 nm via the OFC. By comparing with a cavitystabilized laser at 578 nm, the absolute linewidth of 1.1 Hz and the fractional frequency instability of 1.3 × 10-15 at an averaging time of 1 s for each laser at 578 nm have been determined, which is limited by the performance of the reference laser for the OFC.