R. Gao

The LCFIVertex package: vertexing, flavour tagging and vertex charge reconstruction with an ILC vertex detector

The precision measurements envisaged at the International Linear Collider (ILC) depend on excellent instrumentation and reconstruction software. The correct identification of heavy flavour jets, placing unprecedented requirements on the quality of the vertex detector, will be central for the ILC programme. This paper describes the LCFIVertex software, which provides tools for vertex finding and for identification of the flavour and charge of the leading hadron in heavy flavour jets. These tools are essential for the ongoing optimisation of the vertex detector design for linear colliders such as the ILC. The paper describes the algorithms implemented in the LCFIVertex package as well as the scope of the code and its performance for a typical vertex detector design.

Development of precision Time-Of-Flight electronics for LHCb TORCH

The TORCH detector is proposed for the low-momentum particle identification upgrade of the LHCb experiment. It combines Time-Of-Flight and Cherenkov techniques to achieve positive π/K/p separation up to 10 GeV/c. This requires a timing resolution of 70 ps for single photons. This paper reports on the electronics developed for such measurements, using commercial Micro Channel Plate (MCP) devices and custom ASICs (NINO and HPTDC). The intrinsic timing resolution of the electronics measured with electrical test pulses is 40 ps. With the MCP photon detector and a pulsed laser, a resolution of 90 ps has been recorded in laboratory tests and 130 ps in test beams.

A co-design strategy for embedded Java applications based on a hardware interface with invocation semantics

As programmable hardware technology gathers momentum, the partitioning of applications into hardware and software will prove to be an increasingly important research area. Co-design technologies that achieve this partitioning typically adopt a strategy in which a high level specification is used to synthesise both hardware and software. This paper proposes an alternative approach by which equivalencies between hardware and software components are defined, thereby providing a common interface between them. This allows logic to be moved between hardware and software while retaining the functional properties of the application. An investigation is carried out to derive equivalencies between software elements of the Java language and hardware components by appropriate wrapping of the latter. By developing a framework that captures these equivalencies, this paper shows how hardware/software partitioning of a system can be relegated to a late stage of system development and include both application and virtual machine logic.

The TORCH PMT: a close packing, multi-anode, long life MCP-PMT for Cherenkov applications

Photek (U.K.) and the TORCH collaboration are undertaking a three year development program to produce a novel square MCP-PMT for single photon detection. The TORCH detector aims to provide particle identification in the 2-10 GeV/c momentum range, using a Time-of-Flight method based on Cherenkov light. It is a stand-alone RD project with possible application in LHCb, and has been proposed for the LHCb Upgrade. The Microchannel Plate (MCP) detector will provide a single photon timing accuracy of 40 ps, and its development will include the following properties: (i) Long lifetime up to at least 5 C/cm(2); (ii) Multi-anode output with a spatial resolution of 6mm and 0.4mm respectively in the horizontal and vertical directions, incorporating a novel charge-sharing technique; (iii) Close packing on two opposing sides with an active area fill factor of 88% in the horizontal direction. Results from simulations modelling the MCP detector performance factoring in the pulse height variation from the detector, NINO threshold levels and potential charge sharing techniques that enhance the position resolution beyond the physical pitch of the pixel layout will be discussed. Also, a novel method of coupling the MCP-PMT output pads using Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) will be described. This minimises parasitic input capacitance by allowing very close proximity between the frontend electronics and the MCP detector.

Development of scalable electronics for the TORCH time-of-flight detector

The TORCH detector is proposed for the low-momentum particle identification upgrade of the LHCb experiment. It combines Time-Of-Flight and Cherenkov techniques to achieve charged particle separation up to 10 GeV/c. This requires a time resolution of 70 ps for single photons. Existing electronics has already demonstrated a 26 ps intrinsic time resolution; however the channel count and density need improvements for future micro-channel plate devices. This paper will report on a scalable design using custom ASICs (NINO-32 and HPTDC). The system provides up to 8 × 64 channels for a single micro-channel plate device. It is also designed to read out micro-channel plate tubes with charge-sharing technique.

Development, characterization and beam tests of a small-scale TORCH prototype module

Within the TORCH (Time Of internally Reflected CHerenkov light) R&D project, a small-scale TORCH prototype module is currently under study. Circular-shaped micro-channel plate photon detectors with finely segmented square anodes (32 × 32 channels) have been produced for TORCH requirements in industrial partnership. A new generation of custom multi-channel electronics based on the 32-channel NINO and HPTDC ASICs has been developed. The performance of the photon detector coupled to these customized electronics has been assessed in the laboratory and is reported on. A time resolution of 80 ps and a spatial resolution of 0.03 mm have been measured. Finally, tests of the TORCH prototype module illuminated with laser light and in a charged particle beam will be highlighted.

Development of TORCH readout electronics for customised MCPs

The TORCH detector is being developed for low-momentum particle identification, combining time-of-flight and Cherenkov techniques to achieve charged particle pi/K/p separation up to 10 GeV/c over a flight distance of 10m. This requires a timing resolution of 70 ps for single photons. Based on an existing scalable design, production and testing of a TORCH readout system has been undertaken over the past year, and a novel customized Micro Channel Plate (MCP) photomultiplier device with 128-channels has been instrumented. This paper will report on the development of the readout system which is being used to measure time-of-flight in a test-beam, and its performance. We will also discuss the communication and data alignment between the TORCH system and the TimePix3 telescope in order to provide track reconstruction.

TORCH - Cherenkov and Time-of-Flight PID Detector for the LHCb Upgrade at CERN

TORCH is a large-area precision time-of-flight detector, based on Cherenkov light production and propagation in a quartz radiator plate, which is read out at its edges. TORCH is proposed for the LHCb experiment at CERN to provide positive particle identification for kaons, and is currently in the Research-and-Development phase. A brief overview of the micro-channel plate photon sensor development, the custom-made electronics, and an introduction to the current test beam activities is given. Optical readout solutions are presented for the potential use of BaBar DIRC bar boxes as part of the TORCH configuration in LHCb.

Precision electronics for a system of custom MCPs in the TORCH Time of Flight detector

The TORCH detector will provide charged particle pi/K/p identification up to 10 GeV/c, combining Time-of-Flight and Cherenkov techniques to achieve a timing resolution of 70 ps for single photons. Based on a scalable design, a Time-of-Flight electronics readout system has been developed to instrument a novel customized 512-channel Micro Channel Plate (MCP) device. A Gigabit Ethernet-based readout scheme that operates the TORCH demonstration unit consisting of ten such MCPs will be reported. The trigger and clock distribution will also be discussed.

First radiation hardness results of the TeraPixel Active Calorimeter (TPAC) sensor

The TeraPixel Active Calorimeter (TPAC) sensor is a novel Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) device developed for use as the active layers of a large area, digital electromagnetic calorimeter (DECAL) at a future e+e− collider. Further applications, which include the tracking and vertex systems for future lepton colliders and LHC upgrades have been proposed and it is therefore essential to characterise the behaviour of the sensor for these applications. We present the first studies of radiation hardness testing of the TPAC sensor. The performance of the sensor has been evaluated after exposures up to 5 Mrad of 50 keV x-rays. Under realistic ILC operating conditions a maximum decrease in the signal to noise ratio of 8% (15%) was observed after 200 krad (5 Mrad) which is already sufficient for proposed applications in future e+e− colliders.