Experimental study on the performance of a single-THGEM gas detector

A kind of thick GEM-like gaseous electron multiplier (THGEM), which is mechanically an expansion of the GEM with its various dimensions being enlarged, is studied. The leak current of THGEM plates is measured. The effective gain and energy resolution of a single THGEM are studied with a source of 55Fe, and the effective gain of the single THGEM versus the electric field strength in the induction region is investigated. The results show that the leak current of THGEM plates is less than 200 pA. In an atmospheric-pressure standard gas mixture, 8×103 effective gain and about 32% energy resolution can be reached for the single-THGEM detector.     

Experimental studies of THGEM in different Ar/CO_2 mixtures

In this paper, the performance of a type of domestic THGEM (THick Gaseous Electron Multiplier) working in Ar/CO₂ mixtures is reported in detail. This kind of single THGEM can provide a gain range from 100 to 1000, which is very suitable for application in neutron detection. In order to study its basic characteristics as a reference for the development of a THGEM based neutron detector, the counting rate plateau, the energy resolution and the gain of the THGEM have been measured in different Ar/CO₂ mixtures with a variety of electrical fields. For the Ar/CO₂(90%/10%) gas mixture, a wide counting rate plateau is achieved from 720 V to 770 V, with a plateau slope of 2.4%/100 V, and an excellent energy resolution of about 22% is obtained at the 5.9 keV full energy peak of the ⁵⁵Fe X-ray source.     

Experimental study on the performance of a single-THGEM gas detector

A kind of thick GEM-like gaseous electron multiplier （THGEM）, which is mechanically an expansion of the GEM with its various dimensions being enlarged, is studied. The leak current of THGEM plates is measured. The effective gain and energy resolution of a single THGEM are studied with a source of 55Fe, and the effective gain of the single THGEM versus the electric field strength in the induction region is investigated. The results show that the leak current of THGEM plates is less than 200 pA. In an atmospheric-pressure standard gas mixture, 8×103 effective gain and about 32% energy resolution can be reached for the single-THGEM detector.     

Study of a nTHGEM-based thermal neutron detector

With new generation neutron sources, traditional neutron detectors cannot satisfy the demands of the applications, especially under high flux. Furthermore, facing the global crisis in ~3He gas supply, research on new types of neutron detector as an alternative to ~3He is a research hotspot in the field of particle detection. GEM(Gaseous Electron Multiplier) neutron detectors have high counting rate, good spatial and time resolution, and could be one future direction of the development of neutron detectors. In this paper, the physical process of neutron detection is simulated with Geant 4 code, studying the relations between thermal conversion efficiency, boron thickness and number of boron layers. Due to the special characteristics of neutron detection, we have developed a novel type of special ceramic n THGEM(neutron THick GEM) for neutron detection. The performance of the n THGEM working in different Ar/CO_2 mixtures is presented, including measurements of the gain and the count rate plateau using a copper target X-ray source. A detector with a single n THGEM has been tested for 2-D imaging using a ~(252)Cf neutron source. The key parameters of the performance of the n THGEM detector have been obtained, providing necessary experimental data as a reference for further research on this detector.     

Study of a sealed high gas pressure THGEM detector and response of alpha particle spectra

A sealed high gas pressure detector working in pure argon is assembled.It consists of a 5 cm x 5 cm PCB THGEM(THick Gaseous Electron Multiplier).The detector structure and experimental setup are described.The performance under high pressure(2 atm) is examined,selecting optimal voltages for the ionization region and induction region.The dependence of the shape of alpha particle spectra measured with relative gas gain on gas pressure(1.3-2.0 atm) has been studied.Eight data sets of relative gas gain versus working voltage of THGEM,expressed by weighting field E/P,are normalized,consistent with theory.The results show that the air tightness of the chamber is good,measured by a sensitive barometer and checked with gas gain.The experimental results are compared with Monte Carlo simulation of energy deposition without gas gain involved.     

Simulation of 12C+12C elastic scattering at high energy by using the Monte Carlo method

The Monte Carlo method is used to simulate the ¹²C+¹²C reaction process. Taking into account the size of the incident ¹²C beam spot and the thickness of the ¹²C target, the distributions of scattered ¹²C on the MWPC and the CsI detectors at a detective distance have been simulated. In order to separate elastic scattering from the inelastic scattering with 4.4 MeV excited energy, we set several variables: the kinetic energy of incident ¹²C, the thickness of the ¹²C target, the ratio of the excited state, the wire spacing of the MWPC, the energy resolution of the CsI detector and the time resolution of the plastic scintillator. From the simulation results, the preliminary establishment of the experiment system can be determined to be that the beam size of the incident ¹²C is φ 5 mm, the incident kinetic energy is 200-400 A MeV, the target thickness is 2 mm, the ratio of the excited state is 20%, the ight distance of scattered ¹²C is 3 m, the energy resolution of the CsI detectors is 1%, the time resolution of the plastic scintillator is 0.5%, and the size of the CsI detectors is 7 cm×7 cm, and we need at least 16 CsI detectors to cover a 0° to 5° angular distribution.     

Experimental studies of micromegas detectors with different micro-meshes

The structure of micromegas (micro-mesh gaseous structure) detectors with different micro-meshes of stainless steel wire woven netting and Ni foil has been presented. The counting rates, energy resolution, gain, discharge probability and time resolution have been measured. Wider counter plateaus and gain for the developed detector were obtained. Excellent energy resolution of the micromegas detector, 17% (FWHM) based on Ni foil micro-mesh and 25% (FWHM) based on stainless steel wire woven netting micro-mesh, has been obtained for the 5.9 keV photon peak of the ⁵⁵Fe X-ray source in an Ar/CO₂(10%) gas mixture. The best time resolution at -620 V micro-mesh voltage and -870 V drift voltage is 14.8 ns for cosmic rays in an Ar/CO₂(10%) gas mixture. These results satisfy the basic demand of the micromegas detector preliminary design.     

MICROMEGAS探测器初步测试

介绍了一种利用鱼线做放大区间隔的MICROMEGAS探测器, 灵敏面积为50 mm ×50 mm。 在Ar+CO₂（10%）气体条件下, 利用55Fe源5.9 keV的 X射线对MICROMEGAS探测器进行了初步测试: 计数率大于103 Hz的条件下, 计数率坪长达到280 V; 当栅极电压在800 V时能量分辨为30%; 当增益高于104时打火率低于10-4; PCB板读出条周期为400 μm条件下的位置分辨好于120 μm。 结果表明, 研制的MICROMEGAS探测器达到了初步设计的基本要求。 In this paper,A MICROMEGAS(Micro Mesh Gaseous Structure) detector with the amplification gap defined by stretching nylon fishing lines has been described . And its count plateau, gas gain and energy resolution in the condition of a 55Fe X ray source and Ar CO₂ (10%) mixture gases are measured as functions of mesh voltage. The count plateau approaches 280 V at the count rate of 103 Hz. The discharge rate is less than 10－4 when the gas gain is up to 104. The energy resolution is 30% (FWHM) based on －800 V mesh voltage. The position resolution is less than 120 μm at the condition of the sensitive area (50 mm×50 mm) Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) and its strip pitch of 400 μm. The results can satisfy the basic demand of MICROMEGAS detector preliminary design.     

Development of Yangbajing air shower core detector for a new EAS hybrid experiment

Aiming at the observation of cosmic-ray chemical composition in the "knee" energy region, we have been developing a new type of air-shower core detector(YAC, Yangbajing Air shower Core detector array) to be set up at Yangbajing(90.522?E, 30.102?N, 4300 m above sea level, atmospheric depth: 606 g/m2) in Tibet, China.YAC works together with the Tibet air-shower array(Tibet-Ⅲ) and an underground water Cherenkov muon detector array(MD) as a hybrid experiment.Each YAC detector unit consists of lead plates of 3.5 cm thickness and a scintillation counter which detects the burst size induced by high energy particles in the air-shower cores.The burst size can be measured from 1 MIP(Minimum Ionization Particle) to 106 MIPs.The first phase of this experiment, named"YAC-Ⅱ ", consists of 16 YAC detectors each with a size of 40 cm×50 cm and distributed in a grid with an effective area of 10 m2.YAC-Ⅱ is used to check hadronic interaction models.The second phase of the experiment, called"YAC-Ⅱ ", consists of 124 YAC detectors with coverage of about 500 m2.The inner 100 detectors of 80 cm×50 cm each are deployed in a 10×10 matrix with a 1.9 m separation; the outer 24 detectors of 100 cm×50 cm each are distributed around these to reject non-core events whose shower cores are far from the YAC-Ⅱ array.YAC-Ⅱ is used to study the primary cosmic-ray composition, in particular, to obtain the energy spectra of protons, helium and iron nuclei between 5×1013eV and 1016 eV, covering the "knee" and also connected with direct observations at energies around 100 TeV.We present the design and performance of YAC-Ⅱ in this paper.     

Experimental studies of micromegas detectors with different micro-meshes

The structure of micromegas (micro-mesh gaseous structure) detectors with different micro-meshes of stainless steel wire woven netting and Ni foil has been presented. The counting rates, energy resolution, gain, discharge probability and time resolution have been measured. Wider counter plateaus and gain for the developed detector were obtained. Excellent energy resolution of the micromegas detector, 17% (FWHM) based on Ni foil micro-mesh and 25% (FWHM) based on stainless steel wire woven netting micro-mesh, has been obtained for the 5.9 keV photon peak of the 55Fe X-ray source in an Ar/CO2(10%) gas mixture. The best time resolution at -620 V micro-mesh voltage and -870 V drift voltage is 14.8 ns for cosmic rays in an Ar/CO2 (10%) gas mixture. These results satisfy the basic demand of the micromegas detector preliminary design.     

基于4H-SiC的高能量分辨率α粒子探测器

为突破传统半导体核探测器耐高温与抗辐照性能不足的瓶颈,采用4H-SiC宽禁带半导体材料研制了4H-SiC探测器,并研究其构成的探测系统对α粒子的能量分辨率和能量线性度。所研制4H-SiC探测器漏电流低,当外加反向偏压为200V时,其漏电流仅14.92nA/cm2。采用具有5种主要能量α粒子的226 Ra源研究其构成的探测系统对α粒子的能量分辨率,获得4H-SiC探测系统对4.8~7.7 MeV能量范围内α粒子的能量分辨率为0.61%~0.90%,与国际上报道的高分辨4H-SiC探测系统能量分辨率一致。同时,实验结果表明:4H-SiC探测系统对该能量范围内α粒子的能量线性度十分优异,线性相关系数为0.999 99。     

叠层碲锌镉探测器制备及γ能谱特性测试

实验制备了单层和叠层(双层)碲锌镉探测器,并利用241Am@59.54 keV和57Co@122 keV γ射线源测试了其γ能谱特性。相比单层探测器,对于较高能量的57Co@122 keV γ射线,叠层碲锌镉探测器表现出较高的探测效率和光峰值效率,较好地改善了康普顿连续统一体,表现出与整块等厚度碲锌镉探测器类似的性能;但光生载流子收集效率变差,能谱峰位向低道区偏移;能量分辨率未得到改善。实验初步表明,通过叠加方法制备叠层碲锌镉探测器是可行的,并可推断制备更大厚度的叠层探测器将有利于中高能γ射线能谱测量。     

HIRFL-CSR外靶终端上硅微条探测器阵列的搭建

硅微条探测器因具有很强的位置分辨率与能量分辨率而在世界各大核物理实验室得到广泛应用。中国科学院近代物理研究所研制了性能优越、位置精度达到0.5 mm×0.5 mm的双面硅微条探测器,用于HIRFL-CSR的外靶实验终端谱仪(ETF)上,用作径迹测量以及△E-E望远镜系统△E的探测。硅微条探测器体积小、集成度高,利用柔性印刷电路板(FPCB)引出信号,配合ASIC芯片的前端电路,能够方便地给出每一条的能量信息和位置信息。在此详细阐述了在HIRFL-CSR的ETF上双面硅微条探测器阵列的搭建,并测量了放射源在真空中探测单元的能量分辨本领。结果表明,该硅条探测器的每个探测单元对5~9 MeV能量的α粒子的能量分辨率在1%左右。     

超短激光与金薄膜靶相互作用产生的质子能谱

在能量11 mJ、波长744 nm、脉宽120 fs、功率密度61016 W/cm2的超短脉冲装置上,开展了超短脉冲激光与2.1 m和5.0 m金薄膜靶相互作用产生质子束的实验研究。利用Thomson谱仪测量了产生的质子能谱,发现利用2.1 m金薄膜靶时,质子能谱由于质子源数量不足而在74 keV附近出现单能峰,5.0 m的金薄膜靶产生的质子计数和能谱均比2.1 m的金薄膜靶产生的低,主要原因是超热电子穿过薄膜靶时出现的能量损失和几何倾斜降低了电子回流所致。     

Investigation of GEM-Micromegas detector on X-ray beam of synchrotron radiation

To reduce the discharge of the standard bulk Micromegas and GEM detectors, a GEM-Micromegas detector was developed at the Institute of High Energy Physics. Taking into account the advantages of the two detectors, one GEM foil was set as a preamplifier on the mesh of Micromegas in the structure and the GEM preamplification decreased the working voltage of Micromegas to significantly reduce the effect of the discharge. At the same gain, the spark probability of the GEM-Micromegas detector can be reduced to a factor 0.01 compared to the standard Micromegas detector, and an even higher gain could be obtained. This paper describes the performance of the X-ray beam detector that was studied at 1W2B Laboratory of Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Finally, the result of the energy resolution under various X-ray energies was given in different working gases. This indicates that the GEM-Micromegas detector has an energy response capability in an energy range from 6 keV to 20 keV and it could work better than the standard bulk-Micromegas.     

CEE-TPC中GEM读出探测器传输性能实验研究

气体电子倍增器(GEM)因其具有较好的位置分辨以及各项同性的二维结构等优点,近年来受到了广泛的关注,在HIRFL-CSR上正在建设的低温高密核物质测量谱仪(CEE)也计划使用GEM作为TPC的读出探测器。不同电场条件下GEM探测器的传输特性对探测器的有效增益及能量分辨有较大影响。文中研究了单层GEM探测器中漂移区电场及感应区电场对探测器传输特性的影响;随后研究了双层GEM探测器的电压分配及传输区电场对探测器电荷传输性能的影响。结果表明,在单层及多层GEM探测器中,漂移区电场、传输区电场及感应区电场主要通过改变电子透过率和GEM雪崩电场强度及分布影响探测器的电荷传输性能,进而影响探测器的有效增益及能量分辨。以上实验结果表明GEM探测器是CEE-TPC读出探测器的理想选择,同时测试结果也为TPC中多层级联GEM工作点的选择提供了参考依据。     

Alpha particle detector with planar double Schottky contacts directly fabricated on semi-insulating GaN:Fe template

Alpha particle radiation detectors with planar double Schottky contacts (DSC) are directly fabricated on 5-μm-thick epitaxial semi-insulating (SI) GaN:Fe film with resistivity higher than 1×10⁸Ω·cm. Under 10 V bias, the detector exhibits a low dark current of less than 5.0×10^-11 A at room-temperature, which increases at higher temperatures. Linear behavior in the semi-log reverse current-voltage plot suggests that Poole-Frenkel emission is the dominant carrier leakage mechanism at high bias. Distinct double-peak characteristics are observed in the energy spectrum of alpha particles regardless of bias voltage. The energy resolution of the SI-GaN based detector is determined to be ～ 8.6% at the deposited energy of 1.209 MeV with a charge collection efficiency of ～ 81.7%. At a higher temperature of 90 ℃, the measured full width at half maximum (FWHM) rises to 235 keV with no shift of energy peak position, which proves that the GaN detector has potential to work stably in high temperature environment. This study provides a possible route to fabricate the low cost GaN-based alpha particle detector with reasonable performance.     

A comparison study between two types of nuclear detectors having (Metal–Organic thin films–Silicon) and (Metal–Silicon) structures

Nuclear detectors having metal–organic thin film–semiconductor structures have been prepared and tested. The organic thin films (50–200 nm) were thermally sublimed and deposited onto silicon slides (n-type 1000 Ω.cm). The prepared detectors show remarkable performance and their energy resolution was highly improved in comparison to metal–semiconductor (Schottky type) detectors manufactured on identical substrates and under similar conditions.     

Monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic luminescent solar concentrator with 4.2% power conversion efficiency

We report conversion efficiencies of experimental single and dual light guide luminescent solar concentrators. We have built several 5 cm×5 cm and 10? cm×10 cm luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) demonstrators consisting of c-Si photovoltaic cells attached to luminescent light guides of Lumogen F Red 305 dye and perylene perinone dye. The highest overall efficiency obtained was 4.2% on a 5 cm×5 cm stacked dual light guide using both luminescent materials. To our knowledge, this is the highest reported experimentally determined efficiency for c-Si photovoltaic-based LSCs. Furthermore, we also produced a 5 cm×5 cm LSC specimen based on an inorganic phosphor layer with an overall efficiency of 2.5%.     

500 kV亚纳秒脉冲X光机研制

高能量亚纳秒脉冲X射线可用于精确定标辐射探测系统的时间响应特性和探测灵敏度,对于脉冲辐射场诊断技术研究具有重要意义。研制了一种小型化、可移动的亚纳秒脉冲X射线源,装置占地区域尺寸为1.2 m×40 cm,重142 kg。设计了双锥形绕组同轴结构变压器,采用新颖的三谐振变压技术,将纳秒脉冲形成线充电至520 kV,通过油介质自击穿开关放电,输出370 kV,3.8 ns的高压脉冲。设计了多级过匹配传输线提升输出电压,并利用油介质peaking-chopping开关进行脉冲压缩,产生了峰值520 kV、半高宽0.5 ns、功率1.8 GW的高压脉冲。基于Child-Langmuir定理,设计了刀刃阴极X光管,在520 kV电压下的运行阻抗为150 Ω,管前20 cm处的X射线峰值能量注量率约为1×1016 MeV·cm-2·s-1,累积照射量为4.1 mR。