Test and simulation of a MICROMEGAS detector

We report on the recent test results of a MICROMEGAS detector in terms of position resolution, time resolution and efficiency. With a Ar + CO₂ (10%) gas mixture and a strip pitch of 200 μm an accuracy of 80 μm in sigma on the position has been measured. The time resolution is better than 20 ns and a cosmic ray detection efficiency of 94% was obtained. A Monte Carlo simulation indicates that transverse diffusion, gain fluctuation and electronic noise limit the position resolution.     

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.     

利用MICROMEGAS探测器测量第一汤逊系数

利用新型的MICROMEGAS探测器测量了6种不同比例的Ar+CO2 混合气体中第一汤逊系数α的两个实验参数A和B。实验结果分析表明, 电子在栅极的透过率在75%时, α的测量误差小于13%, 而探测器增益的涨落造成的α的测量误差小于8%。In this paper, the MICROMEGAS detector was employed to measure the experimental parameters A and B of the first Townsend coefficient α in 6 different ratio of Ar+CO2 gas mixtures. The results indicate that the error of α is less than 13% in the condition of electron transmission rate of the mesh up to 75% and is less than 8% due to gain fluctuation of the detector.     

Experimental studies of THGEM in different Ar/CO2 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.     

Design and performance of a 2-D multi-wire position sensitive X-ray detector

A 2-D multi-wire position sensitive detector for X-ray diffraction and small angle X-ray scattering studies is described. The detector has an active area of 100 mm × 100 mm and consists of an anode plane with 10 μm SS wires at 3 mm spacing and a pair of orthogonal cathode readout planes with 25 μm SS wires placed at 1.5 mm spacing. The position information is obtained using charge division method and recorded using a laboratory built data acquisition system. The resolution and gas gain was measured for 5.9 keV X-rays (⁵⁵Fe-source) as a function of the anode wire voltage and gas pressure. It was observed that the proportional region of the PSD at 100 kPa pressure extended up to a high voltage value of around 1.5 kV and it shifted to high values up to 2 kV for gas pressure of 300 kPa. The energy resolution improved from 18% (FWHM) to 12% with increase in pressure. The spatial resolution of the PSD also showed improvement, with a value of 1.2 mm × 1.4 mm at 300 kPa gas pressure. A maximum gain of 5 × 10⁴ is obtained.     

应用于热中子的nTHGEM探测器性能研究

随着脉冲强流中子源的发展,对高性能中子探测器提出了更大的挑战,3He气体资源严重短缺和高计数率中子探测器的迫切需求,已开始制约着中子源应用技术的发展。中国科学院高能物理研究所针对中子的特殊性,专门研发了一种陶瓷基材的nTHGEM（neutron Thick Gaseous Electron Multiplier）探测器用于中子探测。基于nTHGEM的中子探测器具有高计数率、高位置与时间分辨能力、增益大、制作工艺简单,且便于大面积制作的特点,是目前国际上发展替代3He探测技术的重要方向之一。为了详细研究nTHGEM探测器的本身性能,本工作使用55Fe放射源研究了nTHGEM探测器的增益、计数率稳定性、能量分辨率等关键参数与nTHGEM膜间电压、收集场强、漂移场强之间的关系,优化了nTHGEM探测器在不同工作气体中的工作参数,为后续进一步优化nTHGEM探测器设计和工艺奠定了基础。实验结果表明,单层nTHGEM探测器在Ar（90%）+CO₂（10%）混合气体中增益能达到103,探测器计数率稳定性良好。另外,还在中国原子能科学研究院的CARR反应堆（China Advanced Research Reactor）上进行了中子束流实验,通过狭缝测量到探测器位置分辨率为（3.01±0.03）mm（FWHM）,已经接近高气压3He MWPC中子探测器水平。With the development of pulsed intense neutron source, the high-performance neutron detector poses more challenges. The severe shortage of 3He gas resources and the urgent need of neutron detector with high counting rate have begun to restrict the neutron source application technology development. In response to the particularity of neutrons, the Institute of High Energy Physics of CAS developed a nTHGEM(neutron Thick Gaseous Electron Multiplier)of ceramic substrate for neutron detection. The neutron detector based on nTHGEM is one of the most important directions for the development of alternative 3He detection technology in the world at present because of its high counting rate, high position and time resolution, large gain, simple fabrication process and large area production. In order to study the properties of nTHGEM detector in detail, this paper studied the relationship between nTHGEM detector's gain, counting rate stability, energy resolution and other key parameters and nTHGEM film voltage, collection field strength and drift field strength using 55Fe radioactive source, Optimized the working parameters of nTHGEM detector in different working gases, which laid the foundation for further optimization of nTHGEM detector design and process. The experimental results show that the single-layer nTHGEM detector has a gain of 103 in a Ar(90%)+CO₂(10%) mixed gas with good counting rate stability. In addition, a neutron beam experiment was performed on the China Advanced Research Reactor at the China Institute of Atomic Energy, and the position resolution of the detector was (3.01±0.03) mm (FWHM) measured by slits. Its performance is close to the high pressure 3He MWPC neutron detector level.     

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.     

RETGEM探测器的初步测试

研制了一种新型的带有阻抗性电极的TGEM——RETGEM(Thick GEM with Resistive Electrodes)探测器, 阻抗性电极可以有效地保护探测器和前端电子学免于偶尔放电的损伤。 对RETGEM探测器进行了初步测试, 其中包括计数率、能量分辨、增益以及打火率。 结果表明, 探测器达到了设计的基本要求。 In this study we present preliminary results from a new detector: a thick gaseous electron multiplier(GEM) with resistive electrodes. The resistive electrodes protect the detector and the front end electronics from damage by occasional discharges. In different gas mixtures, we test Thick GEM with Resistive Electrodes(RETGEM) detector for the first time, including counting rate, energy resolution, effective gain, and discharge probability. The results can satisfy the basic demand of RETGEM detector design.     

Fabrication and characterization of two-dimensional pin-cushion position sensitive detectors

In this paper, the fabrication and testing results of a two-dimensional pin-cushion position sensitive detector (PSD) are presented. The obtained pin-cushion PSD with an 8×8 mm2 effective area presents a maximum spectral response of 0.5 mA/mW at 850-nm wavelength, a 12-nA dark current at 5-V reverse voltage, a reverse breakdown voltage of 50 V, a nonlinearity of 2.175%, and a spatial resolution of 10 μm. The spatial resolution is relatively low and the slight pin-cushion concave distortion is generated due to the incompletely satisfied relationship between sheet resistivity of the anode and the resistance per unit length.     

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.     

Micromegas探测器计数曲线、增益以及能量分辨特性的研究

介绍了自行研制的Micromegas探测器的基本结构和工作原理. 在不同工作气体(Ar和CO₂)配比条件下,利用⁵⁵Fe放射源对该探测器的能量分辨、计数曲线和气体增益等特性进行了较为详尽的测试. 对相关结果进行了讨论. 关键词： Micromegas探测器 计数曲线 能量分辨率 增益     

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.     

一种用于RIBLL2的纵向场多次取样型电离室

为兰州第二条放射性束流线（RIBLL2）研制了一台用于ΔE测量的纵向场多次取样型电离室。 利用3组分α源（239Pu为3.435 MeV, 241Am为3.913 MeV, 244Cm为4.356 MeV）对取样单元进行了测试, 确定了电离室的最佳工作电压为－500 V, 沉积能量为3.435 MeV时, 取样单元的能量分辨为271.4 keV(FWHM)。 利用Geant4对此电离室的整体性能进行了模拟, 表明可以对Z≥4的离子实现较好的粒子鉴别。 A longitudinal field MUltiple Sampling Ionization Chamber (MUSIC), which makes multiple measurements of energy loss for very high energy heavy ions at RIBLL2, has been constructed and tested with 3 constituent α source （239Pu: 3.435 MeV, 241Am: 3.913 MeV, 244Cm: 4.356 MeV）. The voltage plateau curve has been plotted and －500 V is determined as a proper work voltage. The energy resolution is 271.4 keV FWHM for the sampling unit when 3.435 MeV energy deposited. A Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation is made and it indicates the detector can provide unique particle identification for ions Z≥4.     

一种多阳极横向场电离室

描述了一种将用于兰州放射性束流线较重离子鉴别的多阳极横向场电离室.对其性能进行了初步测试,得到该电离室有较长的坪区和较好的能量分辨.在10⁴Pa的P10工作气体(10%CH₄+90%Ar)下,坪区长度为700V.对²⁴⁴Cm α放射源,在第4片阳极对应的灵敏区域能量损失为1.30MeV,能量分辨41.1keV,相对能量分辨约3.16%。     

Development of a microstrip-based neutron detector

A gas-filled microstrip detector for thermal neutrons has been built and successfully tested in our laboratory. The detector has an active area of 20 mm × 15 mm and consists of alternate anodes and cathodes of widths 12 μm and 300 μm respectively. The anode to cathode gap is 150 μm and the pitch is 612 μm. A high resistance, meandering type horizontal strip connects the anodes at one end and aids in position sensing by charge division method. The detector is tested with gas mixtures³He+Kr (1: 2) and³He+CF₄ (2:1) at pressure of 3 atmospheres and using a Pu-Be neutron source. The pulse height spectrum shows energy resolution of ∼8% (FWHM) for the 764 keV peak at anode voltage of 525 V for³He+Kr and ∼15% at anode voltage of 800 V for³He+CF₄. Gas gains up to 6.3 × 103 and 3.6 × 103 are obtained respectively with these gas mixtures. The overall efficiency of the detector along the sensitive length is tested by exposing the active area to neutrons and recording the position spectrum. The detector shows fairly uniform efficiency (∼45%) over the active length.     

A gas‐filled electroluminescence detector for EDXRF Spectrometry

The design and features of a sealed‐off proportional scintillation gas‐filled detector (GSPC) are described. The use of a 50 µm Be window and an Xe‐based gas mixture provides high efficiency of registration in the range 1.5–25 keV. The energy resolution changes from 18% for Al Kα (1.49 keV) to 4.2% for Ag Kα (22.2 keV). When the count rate on the unit output is 5 × 10⁴ s^?1, the energy resolution at the Mn Kα line does not exceed 9% at an entrance window area near 3 cm 2 . The detector is operated at room temperature and does not require maintenance during operation. The service life of the detector is over 5 years and the radiation lifetime is practically unlimited. The detector is designed for use in EDXRF spectrometers instead of gas‐filled proportional counters. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

用于中国散裂中子源多功能反射谱仪的高气压多丝正比室探测器的研制

中国散裂中子源需要建设一台多功能反射谱仪中子探测器,满足在10年运行期间内,50%(@2A)以上的探测效率、好于2 mm的二维位置分辨、200 mm×200 mm的灵敏面积、3倍的n/γ分辨能力及良好的二维成像性能.基于此要求,探测器因此采用基于高气压~3He气体的多丝正比室,并以满足反射谱仪的探测效率、位置分辨、长期稳定工作和n/y分辨能力为目标进行探测器的设计.本文经过模拟和实验计算得出:以9 mm厚的铝合金入射窗、铝丝密封的高气压腔体和6 bar~3He+2.5 bar C_3H_8的工作气体的设计,可满足探测器对2 A中子10年运行期间内54%以上的探测效率要求;探测器对中子的位置分辨可达到1.4 mm左右;设计的气体净化系统,拥有2 L/min的气流速度可有效去除探测器内的负电性杂质气体,气体循环净化后可提高探测器约27%的气体增益,保证探测器长期稳定的运行;通过对~(252)Cf中子源的能谱测量和成像测量,得出探测器的n/γ分辨能力在5倍以上和均匀的成像结果.研制的探测器满足反射谱仪需求,并已在中国散裂中子源反射谱仪靶站就位联调.