Performance of timing resistive plate chambers with relativistic neutrons from 300 to 1500MeV

Performance of timing resistive plate chambers with relativistic neutrons from 300 to 1500MeV

Blanco, A.; Adamczewski-Musch, J.; Boretzky, K.; Cabanelas, P.; Cartegni, L.; Ferreira Marques, R.; Fonte, P.; Fruehauf, J.; Galaviz, D.; Heil, M.; Henriques, A.; Ickert, G.; Körper, D.; Lopes, L.; Palka, M.; Pereira, A.; Rossi, D.; Simon, H.; Teubig, P.; Traxler, M.; Velho, P.; Altstadt, S.; Atar, L.; Aumann, T.; Bemmerer, D.; Caesar, C.; Charpy, A.; Elekes, Z.; Fiori, E.; Gasparic, I.; Gerbig, J.; Göbel, K.; Heftrich, T.; Heine, M.; Heinz, A.; Holl, M.; Ignatov, A.; Isaak, J.; Johansson, H.; Kelic-Heil, A.; Lederer, C.; Lindberg, S.; Löher, B.; Machado, J.; Marganiec, J.; Martensson, M.; Nilsson, T.; Panin, V.; Paschalis, S.; Petri, M.; Plag, R.; Pohl, M.; Rastrepina, G.; Reifarth, R.; Reinhardt, T. P.; Röder, M.; Savran, D.; Scheit, H.; Schrock, P.; Silva, J.; Stach, D.; Strannerdahl, F.; Thies, R.; Wagner, A.; Weigand, F. W. M.

Abstract

A prototype composed of four resistive plate chamber layers has been exposed to quasi-monoenergetic neutrons produced from a deuteron beam of varying energy (300 to 1500 AMeV) in experiment S406 at GSI, Darmstad, Germany. Each layer, with an active area of about 2000 × 500 mm2, is made of modules containing the active gaps, all in multigap construction. Each gap is defined by 0.3 mm nylon mono-filaments positioned between 2.85 mm thick float glass electrodes. The modules are operated in avalanche mode with a non-flammable gas mixture composed of 90% C2H2F4 and 10% SF6. The signals are readout by a pick-up electrode formed by 15 copper strips (per layer), spaced at a pitch of 30 mm, connected at both sides to timing front end electronics. Measurements of the time of flight jitter of neutrons, in the mentioned energy range, point to a contribution of the resistive plate chamber in the order of 150 ps, independent of the neutron energy.

Keywords: Instrumentation and methods for time-of-flight (TOF) spectroscopy; Resistive-plate chambers; Particle detectors; Neutron detectors (cold, thermal, fast neutrons)

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