Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam

Snyder, L.; Manning, B.; Bowden, N. S.; Bundgaard, J.; Casperson, R. J.; Cebra, D. A.; Classen, T.; Duke, D. L.; Gearhart, J.; Greife, U.; Hagmann, C.; Heffner, M.; Hensle, D.; Higgins, D.; Isenhower, D.; King, J.; Klay, J. L.; Geppert-Kleinrath, V.; Loveland, W.; Magee, J. A.; Mendenhall, M. P.; Sangiorgio, S.; Seilhan, B.; Schmitt, K. T.; Tovesson, F.; Towell, R. S.; Walsh, N.; Watson, S.; Yao, L.; Younes, W.

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2017.10.028

Title: Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam

Abstract

The MICROMEGAS (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) charge amplification structure has found wide use in many detection applications, especially as a gain stage for the charge readout of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs). We report on the behavior of a MICROMEGAS TPC when operated in a high-energy (up to 800 MeV) neutron beam. It is found that neutron-induced reactions can cause discharges in some drift gas mixtures that are stable in the absence of the neutron beam. The discharges result from recoil ions close to the MICROMEGAS that deposit high specific ionization density and have a limited diffusion time. And for a binary drift gas, increasing the percentage of the molecular component (quench gas) relative to the noble component and operating at lower pressures generally improves stability.

Authors:

Snyder, L. ^[1]; Manning, B. ^[2]; Bowden, N. S. ^[1]; Bundgaard, J. ^[3]; Casperson, R. J. ^[1]; Cebra, D. A. ^[4]; Classen, T. ^[1]; Duke, D. L. ^[2]; Gearhart, J. ^[4]; Greife, U. ^[3]; Hagmann, C. ^[1]; Heffner, M. ^[1]; Hensle, D. ^[3]; Higgins, D. ^[3]; Isenhower, D. ^[5]; King, J. ^[6]; Klay, J. L. ^[7]; Geppert-Kleinrath, V. ^[2]; Loveland, W. ^[6]; Magee, J. A. ^[1] more »

Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
Abilene Christian Univ., TX (United States)
Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
California Polytechnic State Univ. (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, CA (United States)

Publication Date:: 2017-11-01

Research Org.:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1414355

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1549099

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-722401
Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002; TRN: US1800687

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; AC52-06NA25396; NA0002921; AC52–06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 881; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0168-9002

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; 43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; time projection chamber; TPC; MICROMEGAS; neutron beam

Citation Formats


                    Snyder, L., Manning, B., Bowden, N. S., Bundgaard, J., Casperson, R. J., Cebra, D. A., Classen, T., Duke, D. L., Gearhart, J., Greife, U., Hagmann, C., Heffner, M., Hensle, D., Higgins, D., Isenhower, D., King, J., Klay, J. L., Geppert-Kleinrath, V., Loveland, W., Magee, J. A., Mendenhall, M. P., Sangiorgio, S., Seilhan, B., Schmitt, K. T., Tovesson, F., Towell, R. S., Walsh, N., Watson, S., Yao, L., and Younes, W. Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.nima.2017.10.028.

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                    Snyder, L., Manning, B., Bowden, N. S., Bundgaard, J., Casperson, R. J., Cebra, D. A., Classen, T., Duke, D. L., Gearhart, J., Greife, U., Hagmann, C., Heffner, M., Hensle, D., Higgins, D., Isenhower, D., King, J., Klay, J. L., Geppert-Kleinrath, V., Loveland, W., Magee, J. A., Mendenhall, M. P., Sangiorgio, S., Seilhan, B., Schmitt, K. T., Tovesson, F., Towell, R. S., Walsh, N., Watson, S., Yao, L., & Younes, W. Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.10.028

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                    Snyder, L., Manning, B., Bowden, N. S., Bundgaard, J., Casperson, R. J., Cebra, D. A., Classen, T., Duke, D. L., Gearhart, J., Greife, U., Hagmann, C., Heffner, M., Hensle, D., Higgins, D., Isenhower, D., King, J., Klay, J. L., Geppert-Kleinrath, V., Loveland, W., Magee, J. A., Mendenhall, M. P., Sangiorgio, S., Seilhan, B., Schmitt, K. T., Tovesson, F., Towell, R. S., Walsh, N., Watson, S., Yao, L., and Younes, W. Wed .  
"Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2017.10.028.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1414355.

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@article{osti_1414355,

  title        = {Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam},

  author       = {Snyder, L. and Manning, B. and Bowden, N. S. and Bundgaard, J. and Casperson, R. J. and Cebra, D. A. and Classen, T. and Duke, D. L. and Gearhart, J. and Greife, U. and Hagmann, C. and Heffner, M. and Hensle, D. and Higgins, D. and Isenhower, D. and King, J. and Klay, J. L. and Geppert-Kleinrath, V. and Loveland, W. and Magee, J. A. and Mendenhall, M. P. and Sangiorgio, S. and Seilhan, B. and Schmitt, K. T. and Tovesson, F. and Towell, R. S. and Walsh, N. and Watson, S. and Yao, L. and Younes, W.},

  abstractNote = {The MICROMEGAS (MICRO-MEsh GAseous Structure) charge amplification structure has found wide use in many detection applications, especially as a gain stage for the charge readout of Time Projection Chambers (TPCs). We report on the behavior of a MICROMEGAS TPC when operated in a high-energy (up to 800 MeV) neutron beam. It is found that neutron-induced reactions can cause discharges in some drift gas mixtures that are stable in the absence of the neutron beam. The discharges result from recoil ions close to the MICROMEGAS that deposit high specific ionization density and have a limited diffusion time. And for a binary drift gas, increasing the percentage of the molecular component (quench gas) relative to the noble component and operating at lower pressures generally improves stability.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.nima.2017.10.028},

  journal      = {Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 881,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2017},

  month        = {11}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Title: Performance of a MICROMEGAS-based TPC in a high-energy neutron beam

Abstract

Citation Formats

MICROMEGAS: a high-granularity position-sensitive gaseous detector for high particle-flux environments journal, June 1996

The Time Projection Chamber journal, October 1978

A time projection chamber for high accuracy and precision fission cross-section measurements journal, September 2014

A Micromegas Detector for Neutron Beam Imaging at the n_TOF Facility at CERN journal, May 2014

Neutron detection in high background using a micromegas detector journal, March 2007

New neutron detectors based on Micromegas technology journal, June 2004

A detector for the characterization of low energy neutron fields journal, June 2012

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center journal, June 2006

Uncertainty Quantification in Fission Cross Section Measurements at LANSCE journal, January 2015

Total kinetic energy release in Pu 239 ( n , f ) post-neutron emission from 0.5 to 50 MeV incident neutron energy journal, September 2016

Excitation energy dependence of the total kinetic energy release in 235 U ( n , f ) journal, May 2014

A multiterm Boltzmann analysis of drift velocity, diffusion, gain and magnetic-field effects in argon-methane-water-vapour mixtures journal, November 1989

Generalized gas gain formula for proportional counters journal, January 1985

A measurement of the first Townsend coefficient in argon based mixtures at high fields journal, December 1992

Penning transfer in argon-based gas mixtures journal, May 2010

Photoabsorption, photoionization, and neutral-dissociation cross sections of simple hydrocarbons in the vacuum ultraviolet range journal, May 2002

Diffusion and drift studies of Ar-DME/CO2/CH4 gas mixtures for a radial TPC in the E > B field journal, October 1997

A study of the absolute photoabsorption, photoionisation and photodissociation cross sections and the photoionisation quantum efficiency of carbon dioxide from the ionisation threshold to 345 Å journal, September 1995

High-precision gas gain and energy transfer measurements in Ar–CO 2 mixtures journal, December 2014

A measurement of photon production in electron avalanches in CF4 journal, July 2008

The scintillation of CF4 and its relevance to detection science journal, January 1995

Study of sparking in Micromegas chambers journal, August 2002

SRIM – The stopping and range of ions in matter (2010) journal, June 2010

Performance of MICROMEGAS with preamplification at high intensity hadron beams journal, February 2002

MICROMEGAS: a high-granularity position-sensitive gaseous detector for high particle-flux environments
journal, June 1996

The Time Projection Chamber
journal, October 1978

A time projection chamber for high accuracy and precision fission cross-section measurements
journal, September 2014

A Micromegas Detector for Neutron Beam Imaging at the n_TOF Facility at CERN
journal, May 2014

Neutron detection in high background using a micromegas detector
journal, March 2007

New neutron detectors based on Micromegas technology
journal, June 2004

A detector for the characterization of low energy neutron fields
journal, June 2012

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center
journal, June 2006

Uncertainty Quantification in Fission Cross Section Measurements at LANSCE
journal, January 2015

Total kinetic energy release in ${}^{239}{Pu} (n, f)$ post-neutron emission from 0.5 to 50 MeV incident neutron energy
journal, September 2016

Excitation energy dependence of the total kinetic energy release in $^{235} U$ $(n$ , $f)$
journal, May 2014

A multiterm Boltzmann analysis of drift velocity, diffusion, gain and magnetic-field effects in argon-methane-water-vapour mixtures
journal, November 1989

Generalized gas gain formula for proportional counters
journal, January 1985

A measurement of the first Townsend coefficient in argon based mixtures at high fields
journal, December 1992

Penning transfer in argon-based gas mixtures
journal, May 2010

Photoabsorption, photoionization, and neutral-dissociation cross sections of simple hydrocarbons in the vacuum ultraviolet range
journal, May 2002

Diffusion and drift studies of Ar-DME/CO2/CH4 gas mixtures for a radial TPC in the E > B field
journal, October 1997

A study of the absolute photoabsorption, photoionisation and photodissociation cross sections and the photoionisation quantum efficiency of carbon dioxide from the ionisation threshold to 345 Å
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High-precision gas gain and energy transfer measurements in Ar–CO 2 mixtures
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A measurement of photon production in electron avalanches in CF4
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The scintillation of CF4 and its relevance to detection science
journal, January 1995

Study of sparking in Micromegas chambers
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Performance of MICROMEGAS with preamplification at high intensity hadron beams
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