A. Iakovlev

Horizon-T extensive air showers detector system operations and performance

“Horizon-T” is an innovative detector system located at Tien Shan high-altitude Science Station (TSHASS) at approximately 3340 meters above the sea level. It consists of eight detection points separated by the distance up to one kilometer that can measure time characteristics of the Extensive Air Showers (EAS) and record signal shapes with time resolution of ~10 ns. It was constructed to register EAS in the energy range above 10 eV coming from a wide range of zenith angles (0 85). The system includes both the plastic scintillator particle detectors as well as the Vavilov Cerenkov radiation detectors subsystem to observe the Cerenkov light from the EAS in the atmosphere directly. The time resolution and signal shape analysis capabilities of the detection points are used to study EAS development in the atmosphere.

Random Number Hardware Generator Using Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photo Detector

This paper presents the physical concept and test results of sample data of the high-speed hardware true random number generator design based on typically used for High Energy Physics hardware. Main features of this concept are the high speed of the true random numbers generation (tens of Mbt/s), miniature size and estimated lower production cost. This allows the use of such a device not only in large companies and government offices but for the end-user data cryptography, in classrooms, in scientific Monte-Carlo simulations, computer games and any other place where large number of true random numbers is required. The physics of the operations principle of using a Geiger-mode avalanche photo detector is discussed and the high quality of the data collected is demonstrated.

Optimization of the Liquid Scintillator Composition

Nowadays, many particle detectors use liquid scintillator (LS) as a detection medium. In particular, Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS) that is a new material currently under development. It is based on the idea of dissolving the organic scintillator in water using special surfactants. This material strives to achieve the novel detection techniques by combining the Cherenkov and scintillation light, as well as the total cost reduction compared to pure liquid scintillator. An important part of either the pure LS or WbLS production is to choose the right fluor and shifter and their concentrations. The choice affects the spectral distribution of the light output and the detection efficiency as each photodetector has its own spectral sensitivity region. This work presents the results of the study on the pseudocumen (PC) based LS with the 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO) and 1,4-bis(5-phenyloxazol-2-yl) benzene (POPOP)/1,4-Bis(2-mehylstyryl)benzene (MSB) as a fluor and shifters of choice. Both the total light yield and the spectral differences in the outputs with different amounts of components are shown. This study can be applied to plastic scintillators as well. Typically, each experimental group does the process of scintillator composition optimization per their needs. It is done to minimize the amount of scintillator components used. This research is done in order to assist future experiments in the optimization process.

Fast and simple glass-based charged particles detector with large linear detection range

In cosmic rays physics often a simple charged particle detector with fast response, best possible pulse time resolution and large linear range is required. For that purpose, we have developed a design that is based on the detection of Cherenkov radiation produced by charged particles in a thick optical glass used as a detection medium by a photomultiplier tube. In this work, the results of detector parameters simulation and experimental verification are presented.

Liquid scintillator composition optimization for use in ultra-high energy cosmic ray detector systems

The Horizon-T (HT) detector system and the currently under R&D HT-KZ detector system are designed for the detection of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) with energies above ∼1016 eV (∼1017 eV for HT-KZ). The main challenges in both detector systems are the fast time resolutions needed for studying the temporary structure of EAS, and the extremely wide dynamic range needed to study the spatial distribution of charged particles in EAS disks. In order to detect the low-density of charged particles far from the EAS axis, a large-area detector is needed. Liquid scintillator with low cost would be a possible solution for such a detector, including the recently developed safe and low-cost water-based liquid scintillators. Liquid organic scintillators give a fast and high light yield (LY) for charged particle detection. It is similar to plastic scintillator in properties but is cost effective for large volumes. With liquid scintillator, one can create detection volumes that are symmetric and yet retain high LY detection. Different wavelength shifters affect the scintillation light by changing the output spectrum into the best detection region. Results of the latest studies of the components optimization in the liquid scintillator formulae are presented.

Performance of Water-Based Liquid Scintillator: An Independent Analysis

The water-based liquid scintillator (WbLS) is a new material currently under development. It is based on the idea of dissolving the organic scintillator in water using special surfactants. This material strives to achieve the novel detection techniques by combining the Cerenkov rings and scintillation light, as well as the total cost reduction compared to pure liquid scintillator (LS). The independent light yield measurement analysis for the light yield measurements using three different proton beam energies (210 MeV, 475 MeV, and 2000 MeV) for water, two different WbLS formulations (0.4% and 0.99%), and pure LS conducted at Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA, is presented. The results show that a goal of ~100 optical photons/MeV, indicated by the simulation to be an optimal light yield for observing both the Cerenkov ring and the scintillation light from the proton decay in a large water detector, has been achieved.