Challenges for FCC-ee luminosity monitor design

For cross section measurements, an accurate knowledge of the integrated luminosity is required. The FCC-ee physics programme at and around the Z pole sets the ambitious precision goal of $$10^{-4}$$ 10 - 4 on the absolute luminosity measurement and one order of magnitude better on the relative measurement between energy scan points. The luminosity is determined from the rate of Bhabha scattering, $$\mathrm {e^+e^- \rightarrow e^+e^-}$$ e + e - → e + e - , where the final state electrons and positrons are detected in dedicated monitors covering small angles from the outgoing beam directions. The constraints on the luminosity monitors are multiple: (i) they are placed inside the main detector volume only about 1 m from the interaction point; (ii) they are centred around the outgoing beam directions and do not satisfy the normal axial detector symmetry; (iii) their coverage is limited by the beam pipe, on the one hand, and by the requirement to stay clear of the main detector acceptance, on the other; (iv) the steep angular dependence of the Bhabha scattering process imposes a precision on the acceptance limits at about 1 $$\upmu $$ μ rad, corresponding to an absolute geometrical precision of $${\mathcal {O}}(1\,\upmu \text {m})$$ O ( 1 μ m ) on the monitor radial dimensions; and v) the very high bunch-crossing rate of 50 MHz during the Z-pole operation calls for fast readout electronics. Inspired by second-generation LEP luminosity monitors, which achieved an experimental precision of $$3.4 \times 10^{-4}$$ 3.4 × 10 - 4 on the absolute luminosity measurement (Abbiendi et al. in Eur Phys J C 14:373–425, 2000), a proposed ultra-compact solution is based on a sandwich of tungsten-silicon layers. A vigorous R&D programme is needed in order to ensure that such a solution satisfies the more challenging FCC-ee requirements.

On the origin of long-lived particles

MATHUSLA is a proposed large-volume displaced vertex (DV) detector, situated on the surface above CMS and designed to search for long-lived particles (LLPs) produced at the HL-LHC. We show that a discovery of LLPs at MATHUSLA would not only prove the existence of BSM physics, it would also uncover the theoretical origin of the LLPs, despite the fact that MATHUSLA gathers no energy or momentum information on the LLP decay products. Our analysis is simple and robust, making it easily generalizable to include more complex LLP scenarios, and our methods are applicable to LLP decays discovered in ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, or other external detectors. In the event of an LLP detection, MATHUSLA can act as a Level-1 trigger for the main detector, guaranteeing that the LLP production event is read out at CMS. We perform an LLP simplified model analysis to show that combining information from the MATHUSLA and CMS detectors would allow the LLP production mode topology to be determined with as few as ∼ 100 observed LLP decays. Underlying theory parameters, like the LLP and parent particle masses, can also be measured with ≲ 10% precision. Together with information on the LLP decay mode from the geometric properties of the observed DV, it is clear that MATHUSLA and CMS together will be able to characterize any newly discovered physics in great detail.

First measurements with the new 3He-filled Monoblock Aluminium Multitube neutron detector developed at the ILL for ANSTO PLATYPUS reflectometer

A detector upgrade was carried out on the PLATYPUS instrument dedicated to neutron reflectometry at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The new detector, developed in the framework of a research collaboration between the ILL and ANSTO, is based on the Monoblock Aluminium Multi-tube (MAM) detector design already in use on several reflectometers and SANS instruments at the ILL. This article provides a technical description of the mechanical design and read-out electronics of the PLATYPUS detector and its commissioning on the PLATYPUS instrument. The main detector performance parameters have been measured and are presented here as well as the characterisation methods and the results of several reflectometry measurements. These measurements show an improvement in experimental data quality resulting from high positional resolution, high detection efficiency and reduced neutron scattering background in the 2.5–19 Å neutron wavelength range used in PLATYPUS instrument.

Tracking system performance of the BM@N experiment

The Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron (BM@N) experiment represents the first phase of the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility (NICA), a mega-science project at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. It is a fixed target experiment built for studying nuclear matter in conditions of extreme density and temperature. The tracking system of the BM@N experiment consists of three main detector systems: Multiwire Proportional Chambers situated before the magnet, Gas Electron Multipliers placed inside the magnet and Drift Chambers placed after the magnet. These systems provide the reconstruction of charged particles’ trajectories and their momentum in the magnetic field. This information is further used by Time of Flight detectors for the particle identification procedure. The system’s performance is reviewed and the spatial resolutions along with efficiencies of the detectors are estimated using the data collected in the recent physics runs of the Nuclotron.

MCORD - MPD Cosmic Ray Detector a new features

The main detector system at the Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) located in Dubna, Russia is the Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD). For better calibration reason, the MPD needs an additional trigger system for an off-beam calibration of MPD sub-detectors and for rejection (veto) of cosmic muons. The system should also be useful for practical astrophysics observations of cosmic showers. The consortium NICA-PL group defines goals and basic assumptions for the MPD Cosmic Ray Detector (MCORD). This article describes the conceptual design and simulation plans of the MCORD detector based on plastic scintillators with SiPM photodetectors and electronic digital system based on the MicroTCA crate.

Simulation of HTR-10 Anti-Compton HPGE Gamma-Ray Spectrometer With Geant4

The efficient and accurate burn-up measurement of the spherical fuel element is the key component of the operation of the pebble bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor. The accuracy of the method that determine burnup by the activity of Cs-137 degrades due to operation characteristics of HTR-10. HTR-10, as an test reactor, operated on and off during the past years. It stayed shutdown more than power operation. In order to improve the measurement accuracy of Cs-137 activity and enhance the possibility to detect radionuclides with low activity, which can be used to correct the classic burnup assay method, a new measurement system is now discussed using anti-coincidence technology, which suppresses the Compton plateau. In this paper, Geant4 is used to simulate the anticoincidence measurement process taking high purity germanium γ-ray spectrometer as main detector and plastic scintillator as the annular detector. By analyzing the signal to noise ratio in different detection scenarios with all kinds of shape parameters of the annular detector, the annular detector with the best anti-coincidence effect are optimaized. The above research results provide an important theoretical basis for the construction of online burn-up measurement system based on anti-Compton technology.

Explore the Lifetime Frontier with MATHUSLA

Many extensions of the Standard Model (SM) include particles that are neutral, weakly coupled, and long-lived that can decay to final states containing several hadronic jets. Long-lived particles (LLPs) can be detected as displaced decays from the interaction point, or missing energy if they escape. ATLAS and CMS have performed searches at the LHC and significant exclusion limits have been set in recent years. However, the current searches performed at colliders have limitations. An LLP does not interact with the detector and it is only visible once it decays. Unfortunately, no existing or proposed search strategy will be able to observe the decay of non-hadronic electrically neutral LLPs with masses above GeV and lifetimes near the limit set by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (cπ ~ 107 - 108 m). Therefore, ultra-long-lived particles (ULLPs) produced at the LHC will escape the main detector with extremely high probability. MATHUSLA (MAssive Timing Hodoscope for Ultra Stable neutraL pArticles) is a surface detector, which can be implemented with existing technology and in time for the high luminosity LHC upgrade to find such ultra-long-lived particles, whether produced in exotic Higgs decays or more general production modes. The MATHUSLA detector will consist of resistive plate chambers (RPC) and scintillators with a total sensitive area of 200 x 200 m2. It will be installed on the surface, close to the ATLAS or CMS detectors. A small-scale test detector (~ 6m2) is going to be installed on the surface above ATLAS in November 2017. It will consist of three layers of RPCs used for timing/tracking and two layers of scintillators for timing measurements. It will be placed above the ATLAS interaction point to estimate cosmic backgrounds and proton-proton backgrounds coming from ATLAS during nominal LHC operations.

A high dynamic radiation measurement instrument: the Bolometric Oscillation Sensor (BOS)

The Bolometric Oscillation Sensor (BOS) is a broadband radiation measurement instrument onboard the PICARD satellite that was active between 2010 and 2014. The main detector is a thermistor attached black coated surface, which was permanently exposed to space without any optical and aperture accessories. The temperature measurements are used within a transfer function to determine variations in incoming solar irradiance as well as the terrestrial radiation. In the present article, the measurement principle of the BOS and its transfer function are presented. The performance of the instrument is discussed based on laboratory experiments and space observations from the PICARD satellite. The comparison of the short-term variation of total solar irradiance (TSI) with absolute radiometers such as VIRGO/SOHO and TIM/SORCE over the same period of time suggests that the BOS is a relatively much simpler but very effective sensor for monitoring electromagnetic radiation variations from visible to infrared wavelengths.

A high dynamic radiation measurements instrument: the Bolometric Oscillation Sensor (BOS)

The bolometric oscillation sensor (BOS) is a broadband radiation measurement instrument onboard the PICARD satellite that has been active between 2010 and 2014. The main detector is a thermistor attached black coated surface, which was permanently exposed to space without any optical and aperture accessories. The temperature measurements are used within a transfer function to determine variations in incoming solar irradiance as well as the terrestrial radiation. In the present article, the measurement principle of BOS and its transfer function are presented. The performance of the instrument is discussed based on laboratory experiments and space observations from the PICARD satellite. The comparison of the short term variation of Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) with absolute radiometers such as VIRGO/SOHO and TIM/SORCE over the same period of time, suggests that BOS is a relatively much simpler but very effective sensor to monitor electromagnetic radiation variations from visible to infrared wavelengths.

The Simulation of Low-Background Gamma Spectrometer With Clover Detector

A low-background gamma spectrometer consists of a high-performance gamma detector and a low-background chamber. It is widely used to monitor the radiation level of the environment and to identify the species of the radiological source. It is especially important for the analysis of the nuclear accident. Usually a high purity Germanium detector (HPGe) is used as a gamma ray detector. In order to enhance the detecting accuracy and sensitivity, it is essential to improve the performance of the gamma detector. In recent years, a clover detector composed of four coaxial HPGe crystals appear and is widely utilized in nuclear physics experimental research. Because of the larger dimensions and segmented structure, it displays outstanding characteristics different from traditional HPGe detectors. With a clover detector as the main detector and the HPLBS1 chamber of ORTEC as the lead chamber, the low-background gamma spectrometer is simulated by the Monte Carlo toolkit GEANT4, where the interaction processes of gamma ray provided by the GEANT4 physics list is used. The detecting performance of the low-background gamma spectrometer such as detecting efficiency and peak-total ratio are given. The results indicate that low-background gamma spectrometer with a clover as the main detector has better characteristic than that with HPGe as a main detector traditionally.