Research at Warwick: Detector
Development
Dr Danielle Stewart
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
http://physics.syr.edu/HEPOutreach/welcome.htm
Contents
• What is a detector?• Detectors in Particle Physics• Types of detector
• Detector Operation• Detector development at Warwick• The COBRA detector
• Frisch collar detectors• Detectors in the real world• Particle Physics in the real world
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
What is a detector?
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
Metal Detector
Smoke Detector
Particle Detector
Eye
A detector/sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument.
Detectors in Particle PhysicsA device used to detect, track, and/or identify high-energy
particles
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
NEMO 3 ATLAS CUORICINO
Types of Detector
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
a) Gaseous ionisation detectors b) Semiconductor detectors
1) Calorimeter 2) Time of Flight Detector 3) Photographic Plates 4) Cherenkov Detectors 5) Scintillation Counter with associated photomultiplier or photodiode 6) Semiconductor Detector 7) Gaseous Ionisation Detectors
Scintillation Detectors
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
a) Liquid scintillator detectors b) Plastic scintillator detectors
A scintillation counter measures ionizing radiation. The sensor, called a scintillator, consists of a transparent crystal, usually phosphor, plastic (usually containing anthracene), or organic liquid that fluoresces when
struck by ionizing radiation. A sensitive photomultiplier tube or avalanche photodiode measures the light from the crystal.
Detector OperationMany detectors in particle physics are semiconductors
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
a) Planar Detectors
b) Co-Planar Grid (CPG) Detectors
c) Pixellated Detectors
d) Frisch Collar Detectors
CPG Detector Pixellated Detector
Detector Systems Overview
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
Basic detector functions: Radiation is absorbed in the sensor and converted into an electrical signal. This low-level signal is integrated in a preamplifier,
fed to a pulse shaper, and then digitized for subsequent storage and analysis.
Incident Radiation
Sensor Preamplifier Pulse Shaping
Analogue to Digital
Conversion
Digital Data Bus
Detector Development at Warwick
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
1) Liquid Argon Detector Development
Next-generation neutrino physics experiments require precision particle identification and fine grained 3D imaging. Liquid Argon (LAr) is becoming increasingly recognised as an ideal medium, allowing the possibility of simultaneous ionisation charge, scintillation and Cerenkov light signals in large volumes.
Detector Development at Warwick
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
2) The AMBER Project
AMBER is a new experiment designed to measure the mass of the electron anti-neutrino.
Detector Development at Warwick
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
3) CZT Detector Development
a) The COBRA Experiment.
b) Generic research into simplification of CZT application with position sensitivity.
Background radiation
Unwanted signals from background radiationDouble beta
decay
Scintillations due to external background
Data
Optimal shielding layers
64,000 array of CdZnTe detectors
Liquid scintillator
The COBRA Experiment
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
Frisch Collar Detectors
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
How to make a Frisch collar detector…..
Frisch Collar Detectors
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
Our attempt to make a Frisch collar detector…..or two…..
Teflon tape
Tesco’s kitchen foil
Silver paint contact to
anode
Readout wires
CZT detectors
Detectors in the Real WorldMedical Imaging and Therapy:
• PET (Positron Emission Tomography)• SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography)
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)• X-rays radiography
• CT (Computed Tomography)• Ultrasound
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
Detectors in the Real WorldPET (Positron Emission Tomography)
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
PET image of a patient with a breast cancer and a colon metastasis
Detectors in the Real WorldBiosensors
Danielle Stewart Physics Masterclass - March 2009
Bioengineered nanovector of the third generation with the drug encapsulated in a liposome capsule decorated with specific binding agents
Danielle Stewart IAS Presentation - Feb 2009
Medicine: cancer therapyEvery major medical center in the nation uses accelerators producing x-rays, protons, neutrons or heavy ions for thediagnosis and treatment of disease.
Medicine: diagnostic instrumentation
Particle detectors first developed for particle physics are now ubiquitous in medical imaging
Homeland security: monitoring nuclear waste nonproliferation
A particle detector can be used to monitor and analyze the contents of the nuclear reactor core.
Particle Physics in the Real World
Danielle Stewart IAS Presentation - Feb 2009
Industry: power transmissionCables made of superconducting material can carry far more electricity than conventional cables with minimal power losses. The construction of Fermilab’s Tevatron accelerator started the superconducting wire industry
Industry: biomedicine and drug developmentBiomedical scientists use particle physics technologies to decipher the structure of proteins, information that is key to understanding biological processes and healing disease.
Computing: the World Wide Web
Particle physicists developed the World Wide Web to share information quickly and effectively with colleagues around the world.
Particle Physics in the Real World