Magnetic shielding simulation for particle detection

Abstract

Cherenkov-type particle detectors or scintillators use as a fundamental element photomultiplier tubes, whose efficiency decreases when subjected to the Earth’s magnetic field. This work develops a geomagnetic field compensation system based on coils for large scale cylindrical detectors. The effect of different parameters such as the size of the detector, the distance between coils or the magnetic field strength on the compensation using a basic coil system composed of circular and rectangular coils is studied. The addition of coils of very specific geometry and position to the basic configuration is proposed in order to address the compensation in the areas of the detector where it is more difficult to influence, in order to minimize the loss of efficiency. With such improvement, in the considered simulated system, more than 99.5% of the photomultiplier tubes in the detector experience an efficiency loss of less than 1% due to the effect of the magnetic fields.