Low energy nuclear physics with active targets and time projection chambers

Snowmass 2021 Instrumentation Frontier (IF5 - MPGDs) -- White Paper 2: Micro Pattern Gaseous Detectors for Nuclear Physics

“…Gaseous avalanche readout technologies, and in particular MPGD-based readouts, play an important role for the success of the science program at FRIB. A few examples of applications of MPGDs to experimental RIBs physics include low-pressure drift chambers for tracking and particle-identification (PID) at the focal plane of high rigidity spectrometers [18], position-sensitive readout for Time-Projection-Chambers (TPCs) operated in active-target mode with re-accelerated radioactive beams [19], and TPCs for the detection of exotic decay modes with stopped radioactive beams [20]. Challenges for the future MPGD technologies applied to the field of low-energy nuclear physics with RIBs include improved spatial resolution and segmentation; better reliability and radiation hardness while minimizing power and cost; low ion-back flow for minimized secondary effects and an increased counting rate capability; integrated electronic readout to reach high channel density, fast data processing and fast data storage.…”

Low-pressure THGEM-based operation with Ne+H2 Penning mixtures

“…Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) used as active targets are at the forefront of detector technologies for studies in nuclear physics with radioactive ion beams [1,2]. Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) [3] and THick Gas Electron Multipliers(THGEMs) [4] are among the most readily used and robust Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGDs).…”

Performance tests of a LaBr3:Ce detector coupled to a SiPM array and the GET electronics for γ-ray spectroscopy in a strong magnetic field

“…These advantages have driven an increase in the popularity of LaBr 3 :Ce in the field of nuclear spectroscopy, where they may, for instance, be coupled to active gas target systems for particle detection. Among these active gas target projects, there are systems where the detection gas is put inside of solenoid magnets of B = 2-4 T [9,10,11,12,13]. The radius-of-curvature of charged particles within these magnetic fields may be used to measure their energies [10,14,15], thus enabling for particle detection over a dynamic range larger than that of silicon semiconductor detectors, which are typically used for charged particle detection in nuclear physics investigations.…”

“…Active gas targets and time projection chambers typically require channel numbers and densities beyond what is usual in nuclear spectroscopy [13]. The ACTAR TPC detector, for instance, has 16384 pad-plane channels contained in an area of 25.6×25.6 cm 2 [16,17].…”