Scintillation detectors consist of scintillator materials, light guides, and photomultiplier tubes. They measure the time of flight and energy deposition of particles to identify particle types. The time resolution is determined by the statistical fluctuations in the number of photoelectrons generated, combined with the intrinsic timing resolutions of the scintillator, light guides, and electronics. A time resolution of 0.1 ns or better is needed for particle identification using time-of-flight measurements.
2. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
B field ~ 5/3 T
R = 3m
L = ½ p R = 4.71 m
p = 0.3 B R = 1.5 GeV/c
tp = L/bpc = 15.77 ns
tK = L/bKc = 16.53 ns
DtpK = 0.76 ns
Experiment basics
bp = p/√p2+mp
2 = 0.9957
bK = p/√p2+mK
2 = 0.9496
Particle Identification by time-of-flight (TOF) requires
Measurements with accuracies of ~ 0.1 ns
3. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Measure the Flight Time between two
Scintillators
Disc
Disc
TDC
Start
Stop
Particle Trajectory
5. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
TOF scintillators stacked for shipment
6. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
CLAS detector open for repairs
7. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
CLAS detector with FC pulled apart
8. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Start counter assembly
9. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Scintillator types
Organic
Liquid
Economical
messy
Solid
Fast decay time
long attenuation length
Emission spectra
Inorganic
Anthracene
Unused standard
NaI, CsI
Excellent g resolution
Slow decay time
BGO
High density, compact
10. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Photocathode spectral response
11. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Scintillator thickness
Minimizing material vs. signal/background
CLAS TOF: 5 cm thick
Penetrating particles (e.g. pions) loose 10 MeV
Start counter: 0.3 cm thick
Penetrating particles loose 0.6 MeV
Photons, e+e− backgrounds ~ 1MeV contribute
substantially to count rate
Thresholds may eliminate these in TOF
12. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Light guides
Goals
Match (rectangular) scintillator to (circular) pmt
Optimize light collection for applications
Types
Plastic
Air
None
“Winston” shapes
13. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
acrylic
Reflective/Refractive boundaries
Scintillator
n = 1.58
PMT glass
n = 1.5
14. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Air with
reflective
boundary
Reflective/Refractive boundaries
Scintillator
n = 1.58
PMT glass
n = 1.5
%
5
4
1
1
2
n
n
Rair
(reflectance at normal incidence)
15. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Reflective/Refractive boundaries
Scintillator
n = 1.58
PMT glass
n = 1.5
air
16. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
acrylic
Reflective/Refractive boundaries
Scintillator
n = 1.58
PMT glass
n = 1.5
Large-angle
ray lost
Acceptance of incident rays at fixed angle depends
on position at the exit face of the scintillator
17. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Winston Cones - geometry
18. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Winston Cone - acceptance
19. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Photomultiplier tube, sensitive light meter
Photocathode
Electrodes
Dynodes
Anode
56 AVP pmt
g
e−
Gain ~ 106 - 107
20. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Voltage Dividers
d1 d2 d3
dN
dN-1
dN-2
a
k
g
4 2.5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
16.5
RL
+HV
−HV
Equal Steps – Max Gain
4 2.5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.4 1.6 3 2.5
21
RL
Intermediate
6 2.5 1 1.25 1.5 1.5 1.75 2.5 3.5 4.5 8 10
44
RL
Progressive
Timing Linearity
21. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Voltage
Divider
Active components
to minimize changes
to timing and rate
capability with HV
Capacitors for increased
linearity in
pulsed applications
22. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
High voltage
Positive (cathode at ground)
low noise, capacitative coupling
Negative
Anode at ground (no HV on signal)
No (high) voltage
Cockcroft-Walton bases
23. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Effect of magnetic field on pmt
25. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Compact UNH divider design
26. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Dark counts
Solid : Sea level
Dashed: 30 m underground
Thermal
Noise
After-pulsing and
Glass radioactivity
Cosmic rays
27. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Signal for passing tracks
28. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Single photoelectron signal
29. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Pulse distortion in cable
30. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Electronics
trigger
dynode
Measure time
Measure pulse height
anode
31. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Formalism: Measure time and position
PL PR
TR
TL
X=0 X
X=−L/2 X=+L/2
eff
L
L v
x
T
T /
0
)
(
)
( 0
0
2
1
2
1
R
L
R
L
ave T
T
T
T
T
Mean is independent of x!
eff
R
R v
x
T
T /
0
)
(
2
)
(
)
(
2
0
0
R
L
eff
R
L
R
L
eff
T
T
v
T
T
T
T
v
x
32. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
From single-photoelectron timing to
counter resolution
The uncertainty in determining the passage of a particle
through a scintillator has a statistical component, depending
on the number of photoelectrons Npe that create the pulse.
)
2
/
exp(
)
2
/
(
)
(
2
2
1
2
0
L
N
L
ns
pe
P
TOF
1000
pe
N
Note: Parameters for CLAS
ns
062
.
0
0
Intrinsic timing of electronic circuits
ns
1
.
2
1
cm
ns
P /
0118
.
0
)
15
(
36
.
0
134 counters
cm
L
cm
)
22
(
430 counters
cm
cm
Combined scintillator and pmt response
Average path length variations in scintillator
Single
Photoelectron
Response
33. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Average time resolution
CLAS in Hall B
34. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Formalism: Measure energy loss
PL PR
TR
TL
X=0 X
X=−L/2 X=+L/2
/
0 x
L
L e
P
P
/
0 x
R
R e
P
P
0
0
R
L
R
L P
P
P
P
Energy
Geometric mean is independent of x!
35. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Energy deposited in scintillator
36. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Uncertainties
Timing
Mass Resolution
Assume that one pmt measures a time with uncertainty dt
2
~
2
1 2
2 t
t
t
t R
L
ave
d
d
d
d
2
~
)
2
1
( 2
2 t
v
t
t
v
x eff
R
L
eff
d
d
d
d
g
E
m 2
2
2
2
2
2 1
)
1
( p
E
m
b
b
b
2
2
4
2
p
p
m
m d
b
db
g
d
37. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Example: Kaon mass resolution by TOF
c
GeV
PK /
1
GeV
EK 116
.
1
1
495
.
0 2
896
.
0
K
K
K
E
P
b 26
.
2
K
K
K
m
E
g
For a flight path of d = 500 cm, ns
ns
cm
cm
t 6
.
18
/
30
896
.
0
500
ns
t 15
.
0
d 01
.
0
p
p
d
Assume
2
2
2
4
2
042
.
0
01
.
0
6
.
18
15
.
0
26
.
2
m
m
d
MeV
mK 21
~
d
Note:
b
db
d
g
fixed
for
m
m
2
38. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Velocity vs. momentum
p+
K+
p
39. Elton Smith / Scintillation Detectors
Summary
Scintillator counters have a few simple
components
Systems are built out of these counters
Fast response allows for accurate timing
The time resolution required for particle
identification is the result of the time
response of individual components
scaled by √Npe