T. Kutter

Characterization and Simulation of the Response of Multi Pixel Photon Counters to Low Light Levels

The calorimeter, range detector and active target elements of the T2K near detectors rely on the Hamamatsu Photonics Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs) to detect scintillation light produced by charged particles. Detailed measurements of the MPPC gain, afterpulsing, crosstalk, dark noise, and photon detection efficiency for low light levels are reported. In order to account for the impact of the MPPC behavior on T2K physics observables, a simulation program has been developed based on these measurements. The simulation is used to predict the energy resolution of the detector.

The T2K Side Muon Range Detector (SMRD)

The T2K experiment is a long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment aiming to observe the appearance ofe in a �µ beam. The �µ beam is produced at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), observed with the 295 km distant Super- Kamiokande Detector and monitored by a suite of near detectors at 280m from the proton target. The near detectors include a magnetized off-axis detector (ND280) which measures the un-oscillated neutrino flux and neutrino cross sections. The present paper describes the outermost component of ND280 which is a side muon range detector (SMRD) composed of scintillation counters with embedded wavelength shifting fibers and Multi-Pixel Photon Counter read-out. The components, performance and response of the SMRD are presented.

Scintillator counters with WLS fiber/MPPC readout for the side muon range detector (SMRD)of the T2K experiment

The T2K neutrino experiment at J-PARC uses a set of near detectors to measure the properties of an unoscillated neutrino beam and neutrino interaction cross-sections. One of the sub-detectors of the near-detector complex, the side muon range detector (SMRD), is described in the paper. The detector is designed to help measure the neutrino energy spectrum, to identify background and to calibrate the other detectors. The active elements of the SMRD consist of 0.7 cm thick extruded scintillator slabs inserted into air gaps of the UA1 magnet yokes. The readout of each scintillator slab is provided through a single WLS fiber embedded into a serpentine-shaped groove. Two Hamamatsu multi–pixel avalanche photodiodes (MPPCs) are coupled to both ends of the WLS fiber. This design allows us to achieve a high MIP detection efficiency of greater than 99%. A light yield of 25–50 p.e./MIP, a time resolution of about 1 ns and a spatial resolution along the slab better than 10 cm were obtained for the SMRD counters.

Photon detector system timing performance in the DUNE 35-ton prototype liquid argon time projection chamber

The 35-ton prototype for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment far detector was a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber with an integrated photon detector system, all situated inside a membrane cryostat. The detector took cosmic-ray data for six weeks during the period of February 1, 2016 to March 12, 2016. The performance of the photon detection system was checked with these data. An installed photon detector was demonstrated to measure the arrival times of cosmic-ray muons with a resolution better than 32 ns, limited by the timing of the trigger system. A measurement of the timing resolution using closely-spaced calibration pulses yielded a resolution of 15 ns for pulses at a level of 6 photo-electrons. Scintillation light from cosmic-ray muons was observed to be attenuated with increasing distance with a characteristic length of

Time link calibration using two mobile TWSTFT stations for T2K experiment

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Scintillator counters with multi-pixel avalanche photodiode readout for the ND280 detector of the T2K experiment

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Calibration of Muon Reconstruction Algorithms Using an External Muon Tracking System at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

The T2K experiment uses GPS system to synchronize the timing between J-PARC (Tokai) and Super-Kamiokande (Kamioka). The GPS link was calibrated with 1-ns uncertainty by two mobile TWSTFT stations to improve the synchronization accuracy.