The RAP experiment: Acoustic Detection of Particles

Abstract

The RAP experiment is based on the acoustic detection of high energy particles by cylindrical bars. In fact, the interacting particles warm up the material around their track causing a local thermal expansion that, being prevented by the rest of the material, causes a local impulse of pressure. Consequently the bar starts to vibrate and the amplitude of the oscillation is proportional to the energy released. The RAP experiment has the aim to investigate the mechanical excitation of cylindrical bars caused by impinging particles depending on the conducting status of the material of which the detector is made. In particular physical phenomena related to the superconductivity state could be involved in such a way to enhance the conversion efficiency of the particle energy into mechanical vibrations. Essentially, two materials have been tested: aluminum alloy (Al5056) and niobium. In this report we report the measurements obtained for a niobium bar from room temperature down to 4K, below the transition temperature, and those obtained for an Al5056 bar above the transition (from 4 to 293 K).