Brzezinski, K., Oliver, J. F., Gillam, J., Rafecas, M., Studen, A., Grkovski, M., et al. (2016). Experimental evaluation of the resolution improvement provided by a silicon PET probe. J. Instrum., 11, P09016–13pp.
Abstract: A high-resolution PET system, which incorporates a silicon detector probe into a conventional PET scanner, has been proposed to obtain increased image quality in a limited region of interest. Detailed simulation studies have previously shown that the additional probe information improves the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image and increases lesion detectability, with no cost to other image quality measures. The current study expands on the previous work by using a laboratory prototype of the silicon PET-probe system to examine the resolution improvement in an experimental setting. Two different versions of the probe prototype were assessed, both consisting of a back-to-back pair of 1-mm thick silicon pad detectors, one arranged in 32 x 16 arrays of 1.4mm x 1.4mm pixels and the other in 40 x 26 arrays of 1.0mm x 1.0mm pixels. Each detector was read out by a set of VATAGP7 ASICs and a custom-designed data acquisition board which allowed trigger and data interfacing with the PET scanner, itself consisting of BGO block detectors segmented into 8 x 6 arrays of 6mm x 12mm x 30mm crystals. Limited-angle probe data was acquired from a group of Na-22 point-like sources in order to observe the maximum resolution achievable using the probe system. Data from a Derenzo-like resolution phantom was acquired, then scaled to obtain similar statistical quality as that of previous simulation studies. In this case, images were reconstructed using measurements of the PET ring alone and with the inclusion of the probe data. Images of the Na-22 source demonstrated a resolution of 1.5mm FWHM in the probe data, the PET ring resolution being approximately 6 mm. Profiles taken through the image of the Derenzo-like phantom showed a clear increase in spatial resolution. Improvements in peak-to-valley ratios of 50% and 38%, in the 4.8mm and 4.0mm phantom features respectively, were observed, while previously unresolvable 3.2mm features were brought to light by the addition of the probe. These results support the possibility of improving the image resolution of a clinical PET scanner using the silicon PET-probe.
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Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Ferrario, P., Monrabal, F., Rodriguez, J., & Toledo, J. F. (2016). Investigation of the coincidence resolving time performance of a PET scanner based on liquid xenon: a Monte Carlo study. J. Instrum., 11, P09011–18pp.
Abstract: The measurement of the time of flight of the two 511 keV gammas recorded in coincidence in a PET scanner provides an effective way of reducing the random background and therefore increases the scanner sensitivity, provided that the coincidence resolving time (CRT) of the gammas is sufficiently good. The best commercial PET-TOF system today (based in LYSO crystals and digital SiPMs), is the VEREOS of Philips, boasting a CRT of 316 ps (FWHM). In this paper we present a Monte Carlo investigation of the CRT performance of a PET scanner exploiting the scintillating properties of liquid xenon. We find that an excellent CRT of 70 ps (depending on the PDE of the sensor) can be obtained if the scanner is instrumented with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) sensitive to the ultraviolet light emitted by xenon. Alternatively, a CRT of 160 ps can be obtained instrumenting the scanner with (much cheaper) blue-sensitive SiPMs coated with a suitable wavelength shifter. These results show the excellent time of flight capabilities of a PET device based in liquid xenon.
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Double Chooz collaboration(Abe, Y. et al), & Novella, P. (2016). Characterization of the spontaneous light emission of the PMTs used in the Double Chooz experiment. J. Instrum., 11, P08001–25pp.
Abstract: During the commissioning of the first of the two detectors of the Double Chooz experiment, an unexpected and dominant background caused by the emission of light inside the optical volume has been observed. A specific study of the ensemble of phenomena called Light Noise has been carried out in-situ, and in an external laboratory, in order to characterize the signals and to identify the possible processes underlying the effect. Some mechanisms of instrumental noise originating from the PMTs were identified and it has been found that the leading one arises from the light emission localized on the photomultiplier base and produced by the combined effect of heat and high voltage across the transparent epoxy resin covering the electric components. The correlation of the rate and the amplitude of the signal with the temperature has been observed. For the first detector in operation the induced background has been mitigated using online and offline analysis selections based on timing and light pattern of the signals, while a modification of the photomultiplier assembly has been implemented for the second detector in order to blacken the PMT bases.
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Poley, L. et al, Lacasta, C., & Soldevila, U. (2016). Characterisation of strip silicon detectors for the ATLAS Phase-II Upgrade with a micro-focused X-ray beam. J. Instrum., 11, P07023–12pp.
Abstract: The planned HL-LHC (High Luminosity LHC) in 2025 is being designed to maximise the physics potential through a sizable increase in the luminosity up to 6.10(34) cm(-2) s(-1). A consequence of this increased luminosity is the expected radiation damage at 3000 fb(-1) after ten years of operation, requiring the tracking detectors to withstand fluences to over 1.10(16) 1 MeV n(eq)/cm(2) . In order to cope with the consequent increased readout rates, a complete re-design of the current ATLAS Inner Detector (ID) is being developed as the Inner Tracker (ITk). Two proposed detectors for the ATLAS strip tracker region of the ITk were characterized at the Diamond Light Source with a 3 μm FWHM 15 keV micro focused X-ray beam. The devices under test were a 320 μm thick silicon stereo (Barrel) ATLAS12 strip mini sensor wire bonded to a 130 nm CMOS binary readout chip (ABC130) and a 320 μm thick full size radial (end-cap) strip sensor – utilizing bi-metal readout layers – wire bonded to 250 nm CMOS binary readout chips (ABCN-25). A resolution better than the inter strip pitch of the 74.5 μm strips was achieved for both detectors. The effect of the p-stop diffusion layers between strips was investigated in detail for the wire bond pad regions. Inter strip charge collection measurements indicate that the effective width of the strip on the silicon sensors is determined by p-stop regions between the strips rather than the strip pitch.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., & Sanchez Mayordomo, C. (2016). Measurements of the S-wave fraction in B-0 -> K+ pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) decays and the B-0 -> K*(892)(0) mu(+) mu(-) differential branching fraction. J. High Energy Phys., 11(11), 047–30pp.
Abstract: A measurement of the differential branching fraction of the decay B-0 -> K* (892)(0) mu(+)mu(-) is presented together with a determination of the S-wave fraction of the K+ pi(-) system in the decay B-0 -> K+ pi-mu(+)mu(-). The analysis is based on pp-collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb experiment. The measurements are made in bins of the invariant mass squared of the dimuon system, q(2). Precise theoretical predictions for the differential branching fraction of B-0 -> K* (892)(0) mu(+) mu(-) decays are available for the q(2) region 1.1 < q(2) < 6.0 GeV2/c(4). In this q(2) region, for the K+pi(-) invariant mass range 796 < m(K pi) < 996MeV/c(2), the S-wave fraction of the K+pi(-) system in B-0 -> K+pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) decays is found to be F-S – 0.101 +/- 0.017(stat) +/- 0: 009(syst), and the differential branching fraction of B-0 -> K* (892)(0) mu(+)mu(-) decays is determined to be dB/dq(2) = (0.392(-0.019)(+ 0.020)(stat) +/- 0.010(syst) +/- 0.027(norm)) x 10(-7) c(4)/GeV2. The differential branching fraction measurements presented are the most precise to date and are found to be in agreement with Standard Model predictions.
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