Abstract: Low efficiency total-energy detectors (TEDs) are one of the main tools for neutron capture cross section measurements utilizing the time-of-flight (TOF) technique. State-of-the-art TEDs are based on a C6D6 liquid-scintillation cell optically coupled to a fast photomultiplier tube. The large photomultiplier tube represents yet a significant contribution to the so-called neutron sensitivity background, which is one of the most conspicuous sources of uncertainty in this type of experiments. Here we report on the development of a first prototype of a TED based on a silicon-photomultiplier (SiPM) readout, thus resulting in a lightweight and much more compact detector. Apart from the envisaged improvement in neutron sensitivity, the new system uses low voltage (+28 V) and low current supply (-50 mA), which is more practical than the-kV supply required by conventional photomultipliers. One important difficulty hindering the earlier implementation of SiPM readout for this type of detector was the large capacitance for the output signal when all pixels of a SiPM array are summed together. The latter leads to long pulse rise and decay times, which are not suitable for time-of-flight experiments. In this work we demonstrate the feasibility of a Schottky-diode multiplexing readout approach, that allows one to preserve the excellent timing properties of SiPMs, hereby paving the way for their implementation in future neutron TOF experiments.

Abstract: For the High-Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider an increased instantaneous luminosity of up to 7.5 . 10(34) cm(-2) s(-1), leading to a total integrated luminosity of up to 3000 fb(-1), is foreseen. The current silicon and transition radiation tracking detectors of the ATLAS experiment will be unable to cope with the increased track densities and radiation levels, and will need to be replaced. The new tracking detector will consist entirely of silicon pixel and strip detectors. In this paper, results on the development and tests of prototype components for the new silicon strip detector in the forward regions (end-caps) of the ATLAS detector are presented. Flex-printed readout boards with fast readout chips, referred to as hybrids, and silicon detector modules are investigated. The modules consist of a hybrid glued onto a silicon strip sensor. The channels on both are connected via wire-bonds for readout and powering. Measurements of important performance parameters and a comparison of two possible readout schemes are presented. In addition, the assembly procedure is described and recommendations for further prototyping are derived.

Abstract: For the Phase-II Upgrade of the ATLAS detector at CERN, the current ATLAS Inner Detector will be replaced with the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk). The ITk will be an all-silicon detector, consisting of a pixel tracker and a strip tracker. Sensors for the ITk strip tracker are required to have a low leakage current up to bias voltages of 500V to maintain a low noise and power dissipation. In order to minimise sensor leakage currents, particularly in the high-radiation environment inside the ATLAS detector, sensors are foreseen to be operated at low temperatures and to be manufactured from wafers with a high bulk resistivity of several k Omega.cm. Simulations showed the electric field inside sensors with high bulk resistivity to extend towards the sensor edge, which could lead to increased surface currents for narrow dicing edges. In order to map the electric field inside biased silicon sensors with high bulk resistivity, three diodes from ATLAS silicon strip sensor prototype wafers were studied with a monochromatic, micro-focused X-ray beam at the Diamond Light Source (Didcot, U.K.). For all devices under investigation, the electric field inside the diode was mapped and its dependence on the applied bias voltage was studied.

Abstract: The AGATA (Advanced GAmma Tracking Array) tracking detector is being designed to far surpass the performance of the previous generation, Compton-suppressed arrays. In this paper, a characterization of AGATA is provided based on data from the second GSI campaign. Emphasis is placed on the proper corrections required to extract the absolute photopeak efficiency and peak-to-total ratio. The performance after tracking is extracted and GEANT4 simulations are used both to understand the results and to scale the measurements up to predicted values for the full 4 pi implementation of the device.

Abstract: Cosmic rays have been studied, since they were discovered one century ago, with a very broad spectrum of detectors and techniques. However, never the properties of the extended air showers (EAS) induced by high energy primary cosmic rays had been analysed at the Earth surface with a high granularity detector and a time resolution at the 0.1 ns scale. The commissioning of the timing RPC (Resistive Plate Chambers) time of flight wall of the HADES spectrometer with cosmic rays, at the GSI (Darmstadt, Germany), opened up that opportunity. During the last months of 2009, more than 500 millions of cosmic ray events were recorded by a stack of two RPC modules, of about 1.25 m(2) each, able to measure swarms of up to similar to 100 particles with a time resolution better than 100 ps. In this document it is demonstrated how such a relative small two-plane, high-granularity timing RPC setup may provide significant information about the properties of the shower and hence about the primary cosmic ray properties.