MATOQ: a Monte Carlo simulation of electron transport in environmental-friendly gas mixtures for Resistive Plate Chambers

Abstract

The increasing interest in environmental-friendly gas mixtures for gaseous particle detectors, especially tetrafluoropropene-based gas mixtures for Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs), has prompted in recent years the need for simulating electron transport coefficients and reaction rates in these mixtures. MATOQ is a Monte Carlo simulation program that calculates electron transport parameters, specifically designed for studying and optimizing environmental-friendly gas mixtures for RPCs. Unlike other existing codes, MATOQ allows for the simulation of electron avalanches by including the effect of space charge electric field, which can significantly impact the avalanche evolution in gaseous detectors such as RPCs. After the validation of the MATOQ simulation in the temporal and spatial growth configurations, we present the electron transport coefficients and the reaction rates in tetrafluoropropene-based gas mixtures, which may represent a valid alternative to the standard gas mixtures currently used for RPCs.