J. P. Sullivan

PHENIX inner detectors

Abstract The timing, location and particle multiplicity of a PHENIX collision are determined by the Beam–Beam Counters (BBC), the Multiplicity/Vertex Detector (MVD) and the Zero-Degree Calorimeters (ZDC). The BBCs provide both the time of interaction and position of a collision from the flight time of prompt particles. The MVD provides a measure of event particle multiplicity, collision vertex position and fluctuations in charged particle distributions. The ZDCs provide information on the most grazing collisions. A Normalization Trigger Counter (NTC) is used to obtain absolute cross-section measurements for p–p collisions. The BBC, MVD and NTC are described below.

Strange meson enhancement in PbPb collisions

Abstract The NA44 Collaboration has measured yields and differential distributions of K + , K − , π + , π − in transverse kinetic energy and rapidity, around the center-of-mass rapidity in 158 A GeV/ c Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. A considerable enhancement of K + production per π is observed, as compared to p + p collisions at this energy. To illustrate the importance of secondary hadron rescattering as an enhancement mechanism, we compare strangeness production at the SPS and AGS with predictions of the transport model RQMD.The NA44 Collaboration has measured yields and differential distributions of K+, K-, pi+, pi- in transverse kinetic energy and rapidity, around the center-of-mass rapidity in 158 A GeV/c Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. A considerable enhancement of K+ production per pi is observed, as compared to p+p collisions at this energy. To illustrate the importance of secondary hadron rescattering as an enhancement mechanism, we compare strangeness production at the SPS and AGS with predictions of the transport model RQMD.

One and two-dimensional analysis of 3π correlations measured in Pb+Pb interactions

Abstract π−π−π− correlations from Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon are presented as measured by the focusing spectrometer of the NA44 experiment at CERN. The three-body effect is found to be stronger for Pb+Pb than for S+Pb. The two-dimensional three-particle correlation function is also measured and the longitudinal extension of the source is larger than the transverse extension.

Charged kaon and pion production at midrapidity in proton-nucleus and sulphur-nucleus collisions

The NA44 collaboration has measured charged kaon and pion distributions at midrapidity in sulphur and proton collisions with nuclear targets at 200 and 450 GeV/c per nucleon, respectively. The inverse slopes of kaons are larger than those of pions. The difference in the inverse slopes of pions, kaons and protons, all measured in our spectrometer, increases with system size and is consistent with the buildup of collective flow for larger systems. The target dependence of both the yields and inverse slopes is stronger for the sulphur beam suggesting the increased importance of secondary rescattering for SA reactions. The rapidity density, dN/dy, of both K+ and K- increases more rapidly with system size than for pi+ in a similar rapidity region. This trend continues with increasing centrality, and according to RQMD, it is caused by secondary reactions between mesons and baryons. The K-/K+ ratio falls with increasing system size but more slowly than the pbar/p ratio. The pi-/pi+ ratio is close to unity for all systems. From pBe to SPb the K+/p ratio decreases while K-/pbar increases and ({K+*K-}/{p*pbar})**1/2 stays constant. These data suggest that as larger nuclei collide, the resulting system has a larger transverse expansion, baryon density and an increasing fraction of strange quarks.

Design and performance of beam test electronics for the PHENIX Multiplicity Vertex Detector

The system architecture and test results of the custom circuits and beam test system for the Multiplicity-Vertex Detector (MVD) for the PHENIX detector collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are presented in this paper. The final detector per-channel signal processing chain will consist of a preamplifier-gain stage, a current-mode summed multiplicity discriminator, a 64-deep analog memory (simultaneous read-write), a post-memory analog correlator, and a 10-bit 5 /spl mu/s ADC. The Heap Manager provides all timing control, data buffering, and data formatting for a single 256-channel multi-chip module (MCM). Each chip set is partitioned into 32-channel sets. Beam test (16-cell deep memory) performance for the various blocks will be presented as well as the ionizing radiation damage performance of the 1.2 /spl mu/ n-well CMOS process used for preamplifier fabrication.

The LANL prototype Compton gamma-ray imager: design and image reconstruction techniques

Today we face serious threats from radiological dispersion devices, improvised nuclear devices, and unsecured nuclear materials. Detectors which are currently used to detect and characterize these radioactive materials (or the radioactive materials within larger assemblies) suffer from large background rates. In addition, these detectors have only minimal ability to localize the position of the source without the use of mechanical collimators - which reduce efficiency. Imaging detectors using the Compton scattering process have the potential to provide greatly improved sensitivity through their ability to reject off-source background by localizing the source. We are developing a prototype device using readily available detector systems to explore Compton imaging technology. Our aim is to build a proof-of-concept device to study the Compton technology and to benchmark simulation efforts that will guide development of larger, more efficient devices that would be needed for deployment in the field. Here we discuss the concept of our detector design and results from Monte Carlo simulations of our prototype detector. We present an extension of an imaging technique used for gamma-ray astronomy to near-field sources

A multiplicity-vertex detector for the PHENIX experiment at RHIC

Abstract A Multiplicity-Vertex Detector (MVD) has been designed, and is in construction for the PHENIX Experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The 35 000 channel silicon detector is a two-layer barrel comprised of 112 strip detectors, and two disk-shaped endcaps comprised of 24 wedge-shaped pad detectors. The support structure of the MVD is very low mass, only 0.4% of a radiation length in the central barrel. The detector front-end electronics are a custom CMOS chip set containing preamplifier, discriminator, analog memory unit, and analog-to-digital converter. The system has pipelined acquisition, performs in simultaneous read/write mode, and is clocked by the 10 MHz beam crossing rate at RHIC. These die, together with a pair of commercial FPGAs that are used for control logic, are packaged in a mutlichip-module (MCM). The MCM will be fabricated in the High-Density-Interconnect (HDI) process. The prototype MCM design layout is described.

Design and characterization of the BVX: an 8-channel CMOS preamplifier-shaper for silicon strips

This paper presents the design and characterization of an 8-channel preamplifier-shaper intended for use with silicon strip detectors ranging in capacitance from 1 to 20 pF. The nominal peaking time of the circuit is 200 ns with an adjustment range of /spl plusmn/50 ns. The circuit has a pitch (width) of 85 /spl mu/m/channel with a power dissipation of 1.2 mW/channel and has been fabricated in 2 /spl mu/m p-wells CMOS. The 0 pF noise is 330 e with a noise slope of 64 e/pF. The design approach is presented as well as both test bench and strip detector measurements. >

A 32-channel preamplifier chip for the multiplicity vertex detector at PHENIX

The TGV32, a 32-channel preamplifier–multiplicity discriminator chip for the multiplicity vertex detector (MVD) at PHENIX, is a unique silicon preamplifier in that it provides both an analog output for storage in an analog memory and a weighted summed-current output for conversion to a channel multiplicity count. The architecture and test results of the chip are presented. Details about the design of the preamplifier, discriminator, and programmable digital–analog converters performance as well as the process variations are presented. The chip is fabricated in a 1.2 μm, n-well, complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor process.

Air cooling of front-end electronics for silicon detectors in a collider experiment

Abstract We have investigated the feasibility of using room temperature air to cool front-end electronics for silicon microstrip and pad detectors in a collider experiment. Advantages of air cooling include minimal material in the path of the particles and no potential of coolant spills in the silicon region. A prototype cooling system was tested with heat provided by flat resistive heaters. Heat loads from 1 to 27 mW/channel were studied, making the results applicable to various silicon detector systems. The measurements are compared to cooling system performance predictions. A set of simple equations has been identified and tested which reliably describe the lab setup.