Single-gap timing RPCs with bidimensional position-sensitive readout for very accurate TOF systems

Abstract

In this work, we report the development and performance of single-gap timing RPCs equipped with a 3 mm FWHM resolution bidimensional position-sensitive readout and reaching a timing resolution of 55 ps s at an efficiency of 75% for MIPs. These chambers are aimed to be applied in a multilayer geometry, forming small and very accurate TOF systems. The avalanche localization capability would provide information for accurate flight-path determination and allow the offline correction of any position dependent effects in the chamber, like gap inhomogeneities or edge effects. The multilayer geometry would provide redundant timing information, which, besides improving the timing resolution, can be used for reducing the timing tails and for the self-calibration of the device. From the experimental singlechamber data it can be calculated that a four-layer configuration of such chambers would yield a time resolution of 33 ps s at a 95% efficiency, essentially free of timing tails. r

Advances in gaseous time-of-flight detectors

“…The staggered construction, while allowing for relaxed mechanical constraints, has the advantage of providing some degree of redundancy, very convenient for the auto-calibration of the system (see [15]) and, as shown below, for the elimination of timing tails (see also [3]). Simulations determined the optimum distribution of the detectors in three columnar regions for each sextant (HADES is divided into 6 sectors), as shown in Figure 1.…”

“…The staggered design allows for some degree of redundancy, which provides strong tail suppression by taking the earliest time for those particles measured twice, along with some resolution improvement [3], as it may be appreciated in Figure 3.…”

“…This technology has been developed into a variety of devices suited to different experimental needs, including large area [2] and position-sensitive [3] counters. The unusual operating principles of these detectors have been also subject to close scrutiny [4]- [6], while several experiments are researching, implementing or exploring tRPC TOF systems [7]- [10].…”

Perspectives for positron emission tomography with RPCs

“…The RPC TOF-PET concept is based on the converter-plate principle [7] and takes advantage of the naturally layered structure of RPCs, of its simple and economic construction, excellent time resolution (60 ps s even for single gaps equipped with position-sensitive readout [8,9]) and very good intrinsic position accuracy (50 mm online in digital readout mode [10]). …”

Testing timing RPC detectors at the Rossendorf electron linac ELBE

“…During the last decade, glass resistive plate chambers (RPCs) have been found potentially well suited [1][2][3][4][5][6] for large-area time-of-flight (TOF) arrays to be used, e.g., for particle identification in large-scale experiments. The CERN experiments ALICE [7][8][9][10] and HARP [11], STAR at RHIC [12][13][14][15] as well as the FOPI [16][17][18] and HADES [19,20] collaborations at GSI Darmstadt reported efforts in investigating timing RPCs for present and future detectors.…”