Gas Time Projection Chamber Research Articles

Design and commissioning of a 600 L Time Projection Chamber with Microbulk Micromegas

We report the design, construction, and initial commissioning results of a large high pressure gaseous Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with Micromegas modules for charge readout. The detector vessel has an inner volume of about 600 L and an active volume of 270 L. At 10 bar operating pressure, the active volume contains about 20 kg of xenon gas and can image charged particle tracks. Drift electrons are collected by the charge readout plane, which accommodates a tessellation of seven Micromegas modules. Each of the Micromegas covers a square of 20 cm by 20 cm. A new type of Microbulk Micromegas is chosen for this application due to its good gain uniformity and low radioactive contamination. Initial commissioning results with 1 Micromegas module running with 1 bar argon and isobutane gas mixture and 5 bar xenon and trimethylamine (TMA) gas mixture are reported. We also recorded extended background tracks from cosmic ray events and highlighted the unique tracking feature of this gaseous TPC.

Demonstration of Single-Barium-Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay Using Single-Molecule Fluorescence Imaging.

A new method to tag the barium daughter in the double-beta decay of ^{136}Xe is reported. Using the technique of single molecule fluorescent imaging (SMFI), individual barium dication (Ba^{++}) resolution at a transparent scanning surface is demonstrated. A single-step photobleach confirms the single ion interpretation. Individual ions are localized with superresolution (∼2 nm), and detected with a statistical significance of 12.9σ over backgrounds. This lays the foundation for a new and potentially background-free neutrinoless double-beta decay technology, based on SMFI coupled to high pressure xenon gas time projection chambers.

Neutrinoless double beta decay with 82SeF6 and direct ion imaging

We present a new neutrinoless double beta decay concept: the high pressure selenium hexafluoride gas time projection chamber. A promising new detection technique is outlined which combines techniques pioneered in high pressure xenon gas, such as topological discrimination, with the high Q-value afforded by the double beta decay isotope 82Se. The lack of free electrons in SeF6 mandates the use of an ion TPC. The microphysics of ion production and drift, which have many nuances, are explored. Background estimates are presented, suggesting that such a detector may achieve background indices of better than 1 count per ton per year in the region of interest at the 100 kg scale, and still better at the ton-scale.

Study of a spherical Xenon gas TPC for neutrinoless double beta detection

Several efforts are ongoing for the development of spherical gaseous time projection chamber detectors for the observation of rare phenomena such as weakly interacting massive particles or neutrino interactions. The proposed detector, thanks to its simplicity, low energy threshold and energy resolution, could be used to observe the ββ0ν process i.e. the neutrinoless double beta decay. In this work, a specific setup is presented for the measurement of ββ0ν on 50 kg of 136Xe. The different backgrounds are studied, demonstrating the possibility to reach a total background per year in the detector mass at the level of 2 events per year. The obtained results are competitive with the present generation of experiments and could represent the first step of a more ambitious roadmap including the ββ0ν search with different gases with the same detector and therefore the same background sources. The constraints in terms of detector constructions and material purity are also addressed, showing that none of them represents a show stopper for the proposed experimental setup.

Development of the GEM-TPC X-ray Polarimeter with the Scalable Readout System

We have developed a gaseous Time Projection Chamber (TPC) containing a single-layered foil of a gas electron multiplier (GEM) to open up a new window on cosmic X-ray polarimetry in the 2–10 keV band. The micro-pattern TPC polarimeter in combination with the Scalable Readout System produced by the RD51 collaboration has been built as an engineering model to optimize detector parameters and improve polarimeter sensitivity. The polarimeter was characterized with unpolarized X-rays from an X-ray generator in a laboratory and polarized X-rays on the BL32B2 beamline at the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility. Preliminary results show that the polarimeter has a comparable modulation factor to a prototype of the flight one.

The NEXT high pressure xenon gas TPC for neutrinoless double beta decay searches

A high pressure xenon gas time projection chamber with electroluminescent amplification (EL HPGXe TPC) offers for the search of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ): an excellent energy resolution (0.5−0.7% FWHM at the Qββ) and tracking capabilities as demonstrated by the NEXT collaboration using two kg-scale prototypes. The NEXT collaboration is constructing an EL HPGXe TPC capable to hold 100 kg (NEXT-100) of xenon isotopically enriched in 136Xe. Since October 2016, a first phase of the NEXT experiment, called NEW detector, is running with depleted 136Xe at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc. The NEW detector is a scale 1:2 in size of the NEXT-100 detector and uses same materials and photosensors. It will be used to perform a characterization of the 0νββ backgrounds and a measurement of the standard double beta decay rate. Recent results on the characterization of the NEW detector performance using data from calibration sources are presented.

Linear Polarimetry with γ→e+e− Conversions

γ -rays are emitted by cosmic sources by non-thermal processes that yield either non-polarized photons, such as those from π 0 decay in hadronic interactions, or linearly polarized photons from synchrotron radiation and the inverse-Compton up-shifting of these on high-energy charged particles. Polarimetry in the MeV energy range would provide a powerful tool to discriminate among “leptonic” and “hadronic” emission models of blazars, for example, but no polarimeter sensitive above 1 MeV has ever been flown into space. Low-Z converter telescopes such as silicon detectors are developed to improve the angular resolution and the point-like sensitivity below 100 MeV. We have shown that in the case of a homogeneous, low-density active target such as a gas time-projection chamber (TPC), the single-track angular resolution is even better and is so good that in addition the linear polarimetry of the incoming radiation can be performed. We actually characterized the performance of a prototype of such a telescope on beam. Track momentum measurement in the tracker would enable calorimeter-free, large effective area telescopes on low-mass space missions. An optimal unbiased momentum estimate can be obtained in the tracker alone based on the momentum dependence of multiple scattering, from a Bayesian analysis of the innovations of Kalman filters applied to the tracks.

Performance measurement of HARPO: A time projection chamber as a gamma-ray telescope and polarimeter

We analyse the performance of a gas time projection chamber (TPC) as a high-performance gamma-ray telescope and polarimeter in the e+e− pair-creation regime. We use data collected at a gamma-ray beam of known polarisation. The TPC provides two orthogonal projections (x, z) and (y, z) of the tracks induced by each conversion in the gas volume. We use a simple vertex finder in which vertices and pseudo-tracks exiting from them are identified. We study the various contributions to the single-photon angular resolution using Monte Carlo simulations, compare them with the experimental data and find that they are in excellent agreement. The distribution of the azimuthal angle of pair conversions shows a bias due to the non-cylindrical-symmetric structure of the detector. This bias would average out for a long duration exposure on a space mission, but for this pencil-beam characterisation we have ensured its accurate simulation by a double systematics-control scheme, data taking with the detector rotated at several angles with respect to the beam polarisation direction and systematics control with a non-polarised beam. We measure, for the first time, the polarisation asymmetry of a linearly polarised gamma-ray beam in the low energy pair-creation regime. This sub-GeV energy range is critical for cosmic sources as their spectra are power laws which fall quickly as a function of increasing energy. This work could pave the way to extending polarised gamma-ray astronomy beyond the MeV energy regime.

Sensitivity of the NEXT-100 detector to neutrinoless double beta decay

A high pressure xenon gas time projection chamber with electroluminescent amplification (EL HPGXe TPC) searching for the neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay offers: excellent energy resolution [1, 2] (0.5 − 0.7% FWHM at the Qββ), by amplifying the ionization signal with electroluminescent light, and tracking capabilities [3], as demonstrated by the NEXT collaboration using two kg-scale prototypes. The NEXT collaboration is building an EL HPGXe TPC capable of holding 100 kg (NEXT-100) of xenon isotopically enriched in 136Xe. The installation and commissioning of the NEXT-100 detector at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC) is planned for 2018. The current estimated background level for the NEXT-100 detector is of 4 × 10−4 counts/keV-kg-yr or less in the energy region of interest [4]. Assuming an energy resolution of 0.75% FWHM at the Qνββ and a 0νββ signal efficiency of about 28%, this gives an expected sensitivity (at 90% CL) to the 0νββ decay half life of yr for an exposure of 275 kg yr. A first phase of the NEXT experiment, called NEW, is currently being commissioned at the LSC. The NEW detector is a scale 1:2 in size (1:10 in mass) of the NEXT-100 detector using the same materials and photosensors and will be used to perform a characterization of the 0νββ backgrounds and a measurement of the standard double beta decay with neutrinos (2ν ββ). An 8 sigma significance for the 2νββ signal in the NEW detector has been estimated for a 100-day run.

Development of the front-end board of a Xenon gas Time Projection Chamber at the AXEL neutrinoless double beta decay search experiment

AXEL is a project to search for 0νββ using a High pressure Xenon gas TPC. AXEL uses SiPM’s to measure the energies and the tracks of 0νββ events. About 50,000 SiPM’s are required for final 0νββ searching version, so developing Front-End Boards (FEB) are necessary. We develop FEB that has high energy resolution and wide dynamic range.

A pressurized argon gas TPC as DUNE near detector

DUNE is a new international experiment for neutrino physics and nucleon decay searches. It will consist of two detectors, about 1300 km apart, exposed to a multi-megawatt neutrino beam that will be built at Fermilab. One of the two detectors will be installed several hundred meters downstream of the neutrino production point with the primary role of characterising the energy spectrum and composition of the beam as well as performing precision measurements of neutrino cross sections. For the design of this so-called near detector, the DUNE Collaboration is considering, among other technologies, a pressurized argon gas time projection chamber. Such a detector, thanks to its low density and low detection thresholds, would allow the detailed measurement in argon of nuclear effects at the neutrino interaction vertex, which are considered at present one of the most important sources of systematic uncertainty for neutrino oscillation measurements.

Measurement of neutrino interactions in gaseous argon with T2K

The T2K near-detector, ND280, employs three large argon gas TPCs (Time Projection Chambers) for particle tracking and identification. The gas inside the TPCs can be used as an active target to study the neutrino interactions in great detail. The low density of the gas leads to very low track energy thresholds, allowing the reconstruction of very low momentum tracks, e.g. protons with kinetic energies down to O(1 MeV). Since different nuclear interaction models vary considerably in their predictions of those low momentum track multiplicities, this makes neutrino interactions on gases a powerful probe to test those models. The TPCs operate with an argon-based gas mixture (95% by volume) and have been exposed to the T2K neutrino beam since the beginning of the experiment in 2010. Due to the low total mass of the gas, neutrino argon interactions happen only rarely, compared to the surrounding scintillator-based detectors. We expect about 600 such events in the recorded data so far (about 200 in the fiducial volume). We are able to separate those events from the background and thus demonstrate the viability of using gaseous argon as a target for a neutrino beam. This enables us to do a cross-section measurement on gaseous argon, the first measurement of this kind. All previous neutrino cross-section measurements on argon were performed in liquid argon TPCs.

Charged particle tracking without magnetic field: Optimal measurement of track momentum by a Bayesian analysis of the multiple measurements of deflections due to multiple scattering

We revisit the precision of the measurement of track parameters (position, angle) with optimal methods in the presence of detector resolution, multiple scattering and zero magnetic field. We then obtain an optimal estimator of the track momentum by a Bayesian analysis of the filtering innovations of a series of Kalman filters applied to the track.This work could pave the way to the development of autonomous high-performance gas time-projection chambers (TPC) or silicon wafer γ-ray space telescopes and be a powerful guide in the optimization of the design of the multi-kilo-ton liquid argon TPCs that are under development for neutrino studies.

Are neutrinos their own antiparticles?

Neutrino oscillation experiments have provided robust evidence that neutrinos are indeed massive and lepton flavors are significantly mixed. Therefore, both theoretical and experimental investigations of intrinsic properties of massive neutrinos become one of the most important topics at the frontier of particle physics. Currently, it is still unknown whether neutrino mass ordering is normal (i.e., m 1 m 2 m 3) or inverted (i.e., m 3 m 1 m 2), how small the lightest neutrino mass is and if neutrinos are Majorana particles, namely, if they are their own antiparticles. In this article, we mainly concentrate on the last fundamental problem. As neutrinos are electrically neutral, their antiparticles are in principle allowed to be themselves. First of all, we briefly introduce the concepts of antiparticles and Majorana fermions by following their historical development. Then, we explain how to probe the Majorana nature of massive neutrinos. In reality, this can be achieved by observing the neutrinoless double-beta decays of some heavy nuclear isotopes, which consist of even numbers of protons and neutrons and their single beta decays are kinetically forbidden. Although neutrinoless double-beta decays are extremely rare (probably with a half-life longer than 1026 years), a clear experimental signal will unambiguously demonstrate that neutrinos are Majorana particles and there exist lepton-number-violating interactions in nature. In the case of an inverted neutrino mass ordering, a number of next-generation experiments will be able to successfully discover neutrinoless double-beta decays. For instance, the huge liquid-scintillator detector of JUNO experiment in China can be dopped with a few tons of 136Xe and upgraded to measure neutrinoless double-beta decays. Another idea is taken by the PandaX-III collaboration that a ton-scale high-pressure xenon gas time-projection chamber is built to catch the tracks of neutrinoless double-beta decays. The answer to whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles would finally help us explore the origin of neutrino masses, and the new physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles.

PandaX-III: Searching for neutrinoless double beta decay with high pressure 136Xe gas time projection chambers

Searching for the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (NLDBD) is now regarded as the topmost promising technique to explore the nature of neutrinos after the discovery of neutrino masses in oscillation experiments. PandaX-III (Particle And Astrophysical Xenon Experiment III) will search for the NLDBD of $^{136}$Xe at the China Jin Ping underground Laboratory (CJPL). In the first phase of the experiment, a high pressure gas Time Projection Chamber (TPC) will contain 200 kg, 90% $^{136}$Xe enriched gas operated at 10 bar. Fine pitch micro-pattern gas detector (Microbulk Micromegas) will be used at both ends of the TPC for the charge readout with a cathode in the middle. Charge signals can be used to reconstruct tracks of NLDBD events and provide good energy and spatial resolution. The detector will be immersed in a large water tank to ensure $\sim$5 m of water shielding in all directions. The second phase, a ton-scale experiment, will consist of five TPCs in the same water tank, with improved energy resolution and better control over backgrounds.

Imaging in (high pressure) Micromegas TPC detectors

The T-REX project of the group of the University of Zaragoza includes a number of R&D and prototyping activities to explore the applicability of gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with Micromesh Gas Structures (Micromegas) in rare event searches where the pattern recognition of the signal is crucial for background discrimination. In the CAST experiment (CERN Axion Solar Telescope) a background level as low as 0.8 × 10−6 counts keV−1 cm−2 s−1 was achieved. Prototyping and simulations promise a 105 better signal-to-noise ratio than CAST for the future IAXO (International Axion Observatory) using x-ray telescopes. A new strategy is also explored in the search of WIMPS based on high gas pressure: the TREX-DM experiment, a low energy threshold detector. In both cases, axion and WIMP searches, the image of the expected signal is quite simple: a one cluster deposition coming from the magnet bore in the case of axions and, if possible, with a tadpole form in the case of WIMPs. It is the case of double beta decay (DBD) where imaging and pattern recognition play a major role. Results obtained in Xe + trimethylamine (TMA) mixture point to a reduction in electron diffusion which improves the quality of the topological pattern, with a positive impact on the discrimination capability, as shown in TREX-ββ prototype. Microbulk Micromegas are able to image the DBD ionization signature with high quality while, at the same time, measuring its energy deposition with a resolution of at least a ∼ 3% FWHM at the transition energy Qββ and even better (up to ∼ 1% FWHM) as extrapolated from low energy events. That makes Micromegas-based HPXe TPC a very competitive technique for the next generation DBD experiments (as PANDAX-III). Here, it will be shown the last results of the TREX project detectors and software concerning Axions, Dark matter and double beta decay.

TREX-DM: a low-background Micromegas-based TPC for low-mass WIMP detection.

If Dark Matter is made of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) with masses below {sim }20 GeV, the corresponding nuclear recoils in mainstream WIMP experiments are of energies too close, or below, the experimental threshold. Gas Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) can be operated with a variety of target elements, offer good tracking capabilities and, on account of the amplification in gas, very low thresholds are achievable. Recent advances in electronics and in novel radiopure TPC readouts, especially micro-mesh gas structure (Micromegas), are improving the scalability and low-background prospects of gaseous TPCs. Here we present TREX-DM, a prototype to test the concept of a Micromegas-based TPC to search for low-mass WIMPs. The detector is designed to host an active mass of {sim }0.300 kg of Ar at 10 bar, or alternatively {sim }0.160 kg of Ne at 10 bar, with an energy threshold below 0.4 keVee, and is fully built with radiopure materials. We will describe the detector in detail, the results from the commissioning phase on surface, as well as a preliminary background model. The anticipated sensitivity of this technique may go beyond current experimental limits for WIMPs of masses of 2–8 GeV.

GEM-based TPC with CCD imaging for directional dark matter detection

The most mature directional dark matter experiments at present all utilize low-pressure gas Time Projection Chamber (TPC) technologies. We discuss some of the challenges for this technology, for which balancing the goal of achieving the best sensitivity with that of cost effective scale-up requires optimization over a large parameter space. Critical for this are the precision measurements of the fundamental properties of both electron and nuclear recoil tracks down to the lowest detectable energies. Such measurements are necessary to provide a benchmark for background discrimination and directional sensitivity that could be used for future optimization studies for directional dark matter experiments. In this paper we describe a small, high resolution, high signal-to-noise GEM-based TPC with a 2D CCD readout designed for this goal. The performance of the detector was characterized using alpha particles, X-rays, gamma-rays, and neutrons, enabling detailed measurements of electron and nuclear recoil tracks. Stable effective gas gains of greater than 1 × 105 were obtained in 100 Torr of pure CF4 by a cascade of three standard CERN GEMs each with a 140 µm pitch. The high signal-to-noise and sub-millimeter spatial resolution of the GEM amplification and CCD readout, together with low diffusion, allow for excellent background discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils down below ∼10 keVee (∼23 keVr fluorine recoil). Even lower thresholds, necessary for the detection of low mass WIMPs for example, might be achieved by lowering the pressure and utilizing full 3D track reconstruction. These and other paths for improvements are discussed, as are possible fundamental limitations imposed by the physics of energy loss.

Combination of two Gas Electron Multipliers and a Micromegas as gain elements for a time projection chamber

We measured the properties of a novel combination of two Gas Electron Multipliers with a Micromegas for use as amplification devices in high-rate gaseous time projection chambers. The goal of this design is to minimize the buildup of space charge in the drift volume of such detectors in order to eliminate the standard gating grid and its resultant dead time, while preserving good tracking and particle identification performance. To characterize this micro-pattern gas detector configuration, we measured the positive ion back-flow and energy resolution at various element gains and electric fields, using a variety of gases, and additionally studied crosstalk effects and discharge rates. At a gain of 2000, this configuration achieves an ion back-flow below 0.4% and an energy resolution better than σ/E=12% for 55Fe X-rays.

AXEL—a high pressure xenon gas TPC for neutrinoless double beta decay search

To search for neutrinoless double beta decay, we have started developing a high pressure xenon gas time projection chamber as the AXEL (A Xenon ElectroLuminescence detector) project since 2014. We proposed a new scheme to measure energy deposit using electroluminescence lights to achieve high energy resolution, large mass and strong background rejection power. Important performances of compositions of our new readout scheme are shown: electric field simulation, VUV sensitivity of MPPC in high pressure gaseous xenon, response of MPPC for large amount of photons. To demonstrate as a whole system, we constructed a small prototype detector using 64 MPPCs filled with 4bar xenon gas. Result of measurement with a 57Co gamma-ray source are shown.