Experimental Methods of Particle Physics (EEPP)
Scientific Responsible: Prof. Sebastiano Albergo
Location: Ed. 6 (floor 0; room T41)
The laboratory has the dual purpose of an educational laboratory for the homonymous course of the Master's Degree in Physics and a research laboratory connected to the experimental activities of our headquarters within the international collaboration RD-FCC (Research&Development on the Future Circular Collider). These research activities are aimed at the realization of a prototype of a new generation "Dual Readout" calorimeter for high energy particles based on the separate simultaneous measurement of the light emitted by scintillation and of that emitted by the Cherenkov effect during the passage of ultra-relativistic charged particles. The photosensors identified for reading this light are the Silicon Photomultiplier ("SiPM").
The main equipment of the laboratory is aimed at carrying out tests and characterizations (breakdown voltage, gain, crosstalk, ...) of part of the numerous SiPM devices which are intended for the construction of the Dual Readout calorimeter prototype.
A station will soon be set up for R&D on Silicon Carbide "SiC" detectors, which could have an impact on the medical field.
Equipment description
| CAEN DT5202 front end board | ||
 |
To study Cherenkov light (emitted in the UV region of the electromagnetic spectrum) it is necessary to apply wavelength-shifter materials (e.g. PEN sheets) to shift it towards the blue, for reasons of greater sensitivity of the detectors. The CAEN DT5202 board allows you to manage 64 channels (that is an entire 8x8 matrix such as the SiPM Hamamatsu S13161-3050AE-08), and therefore to reduce the time necessary for the measurements.
Of course, a dark box to isolate the SiPM as much as possible from ambient light (decreasing noise) and a light source are also needed.
|
|
| Light source | ||
 |
The Ocean Insight PX-2 Xenon lamp is a compact UV source that produces pulsed light in the 220-750 nm range.
Thanks to an Optometrics SDMC1-02 monochromator, we can therefore conduct photosensitivity measurements at different wavelengths.
This setup also allows you to carry out studies with technical-industrial applications (monitoring of water quality,...).
|
|
| Thorlabs Integrating sphere and more | ||
 |
We conclude with the integrating sphere of Teflon, a material capable (96% reflectance) of effectively reflecting UV light, and a home-made dome (also in Teflon), which allows:
1) the alignment of an optical fiber at a distance designed to uniformly illuminate a SiPM/SiC/traditional photomultiplier (“PMT”), taking into account the angular aperture of the fiber;
2) further protection (in addition to the dark box): both from external light for the detector and from the diffusion of UV light in the laboratory, for the characterizations that require it.
|
|
