Precision-Enhanced Particle Detection Breakthrough
Introduction
Threshold Cerenkov Detector With Radial Segmentation permits correlation between number of photons produced in concentrically arranged radiator tubes and particle momentum that yields a 90% confidence level for e, μ, π, and p identification up to 4-5 GeV/c or four to five times greater than the momentum limit for particle identification in Threshold Cerenkov Detectors, wherein detector has three concentric cylinders with a total of 25 radiator tubes, each cylinder of tubes has different medium; and four scintillators are employed which trigger cosmic particles within a window of 5ns. Radiator designs produce more photons as particles enter improved TCDRS design and fewer photons as they leave. Correlation between the number of photons produced in the tubes and the particle momentum yields about a 90% confidence level for e, μ, π, and p identification up to 4-5 GeV/c times greater than the momentum limit for particle identification using existing Threshold Cerenkov Detectors.
1. A method of providing nuclear particle identification for e, μ, π, and p of up to about 4 to about 5 GeV/c using an improved Threshold Cerenkov Detector With Radial Segmentation (TCDRS), comprising:
A) Allowing particles of e, μ, π, and p to impinge on a plurality of at least three concentrically configured light transmitting radiator tubes; wherein: i) an outer shell of radiator tubes is filled with water and a wavelength shifter to provide a first index of refraction; ii) a middle shell of said radiator tubes is filled with mineral oil to provide a second index of refraction higher than said first index of refraction; and iii) a center shell of said radiator tubes is filled with mineral oil and a wave length shifter to provide a third index of refraction higher than said second index of refraction;
B) Obtaining light flashes of materially segmented blue light in a radial direction shifted from ultraviolet Cerenkov light by said wavelength shifter and materially segmented into a plurality of photons by said different indices of refraction in said concentrically configured radiator tubes; and
C) Counting particles as an event when a gated impulse is created when at least one of two scintillation counters on top of said detector and at least one of two scintillation counters beneath said detector are struck when a particle traverses the detector volume to create a blue photon that is multiplied by an attached photomultiplier tube.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein an event is triggered when a particle traverses said detector volume in 5 ns.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said wavelength shifter is 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein said wavelength shifter is added to about 68% of said light transmitting radiator tubes.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein said materially segmented blue light peaks at about 400 nm.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein said gated impulse initiates a computer aided interface to read analog-to-digital converter (ADC) channels attached to each photomultiplier tube and transfers counts from each ADC to a data acquisition program on a computer.
7. The process of claim 6 wherein said data acquisition program on said computer writes all counts from said ADC channels of events to an archived file.
8. In a Threshold Cerenkov Detector, the improvement of a Radial Segmentation design that provides nuclear particle identification for e, μ, π, and p of up to about 4 to about 5 GeV/c by allowing particles of e, μ, π, and p to impinge on said design, to obtain light flashes of materially segmented blue light into a radial direction shifted from UV Cerenkov light by a wavelength shifter and materially segmented into a plurality of photons by different indices of refraction in concentrically configured radiator tubes, said design comprising:
A) A plurality of at least three concentrically configured light transmitting radiator tubes comprising;
i) An outer shell of radiator tube means filled with water and a wavelength shifter to provide a first index of refraction;
ii) a middle shell of radiator tube means filled with mineral oil to provide a second index of refraction higher than said first index of refraction; and
iii) a center shell of radiator tube means filled with mineral oil and a wavelength shifter to provide a third index of refraction higher than said second index of refraction; and
B) at least one of two scintillation counter means disposed on top of said detector and at least one of two scintillation counter means disposed on the bottom of said detector to provide a gated impulse when struck by a particle traversing the detector volume to create a blue photon multiplied by an attached photomultiplier tube.
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Title
Threshold Cerenkov detector with radial segmentation
Inventor(s)
Elliot Allen Treadwell, Ely Ivan Leon
Assignee(s)
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University FAMU
Patent #
7683335
Patent Date
March 23, 2010