A fast simulation model of 2-D photoelectron track images for gaseous X-ray polarimetry

Abstract

Gaseous polarimetry applies in soft X-ray polarization detection, typically like the Gas Pixel detector (GPD) and the micropattern time projection chamber (TPC). The polarization phase angles resolve from photoelectron track trajectories for both of them. The photoelectron track images derived from read-out pixels or strips are the key to determining the performance of the polarimetry. Gaseous X-ray polarimetry is regularly optimized and diagnosed by the Geant4 associated with Garfield++ and finite element analysis software (full simulation). Although the results are more realistic by the full simulation, the sample generation is low efficiency, especially for large gain values of the multiplier stage. The 2-D photoelectron track images regularly generate by a gaussian smear of initial ionization electrons at present. However, discrepancies exist in the modulation curves, resulting in fuzzy diagnoses and optimization of polarimetry. In this study, a fast simulation framework is constructed, the reconstruction of polarization phase angles and energy spectrum of the samples obtained from the fast simulation are consistent with those from experiments and the full simulation, and the deviation of modulation factor is within 2% for both situations of the GPD and TPC. In addition, the fast simulation greatly improves the sample generation efficiency. These results illustrate the fast simulation model is relative accuracy and high efficiency, which provides a useful tool for gaseous X-ray polarimetry.