Description:
Nuclear physics research has a need for devices to track charged particles, and neutral particles such as neutrons, neutrinos, photons, and single atoms. Grant applications are sought to develop advancements in the technology of solid-state tracking devices such as highly-segmented coaxial and planar germanium detectors; silicon drift, strip, and pixel detectors; and silicon 3D devices. With respect to solid state tracking devices, approaches of interest include (1) manufacturing techniques, including interconnection technologies for high granularity, high resolution, lightweight, and radiation-hard solid state devices; (2) highly arrayed solid state detectors for neutron detection, with integrated electronics to read-out pulse height; (3) thicker (more than 1.5 mm) segmented silicon charged-particle and x-ray detectors and associated high density, high resolution electronics; (4) cost-effective production of n-type and p-type silicon drift chambers with active areas greater than 16 cm2; (5) novel, low-noise cooling devices for efficiently operating these silicon drift chambers; (6) and other solid state detectors described in (2)-(4); and (7) techniques for substantial cost reduction of large-mass Ge detectors.
Grant applications also are sought to develop micro-channel plates; and gas-filled tracking detectors such as proportional, drift, streamer, microstrip, Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs), Micromegas and other types of micropattern detectors, straw drift tube detectors. For straw tube detectors grant applications are sought for automated assembly and wiring techniques. Interested parties should contact Dr. Bernd Surrow (surrow@mit.edu).
Grant applications also are sought to develop position-sensitive charged particle and photon tracking devices, as well as associated technology for these devices, including (1) positionsensitive, high-resolution germanium detectors capable of determining the position (to within a few millimeters utilizing pulse shape analysis) and energy of individual interactions of gammarays (with energies up to several MeV), hence allowing for the reconstruction of the energy and path of individual gamma-rays using tracking techniques; (2) hardware and software needed for digital signal processing and gamma-ray tracking – of particular interest is the development of efficient and fast algorithms for signal decomposition and improved tracking programs; High speed triggers using FPGA’s capable of decision making in less than 1 us; (3) alternative materials, with comparable resolution to germanium, but with significantly higher efficiency and relatively higher temperature operation (in order to overcome the costly and bulky requirement to cool germanium detectors to liquid nitrogen temperatures); (4) improvements and new developments in micropattern detectors – this would specifically include commercial and cost effective production of GEM foils and other types of micropattern structures, such as fine meshes used in Micromegas, as well as novel approaches that could provide high-resolution multidimensional readout; (5) advances in more conventional charged-particle tracking detector systems, such as drift chambers, pad chambers, time expansion chambers, and time projection chambers (areas of interest include improved gases or gas additives that resist aging, improve detector resolution, decrease flammability, and offer larger/more uniform drift velocity); (6) high-resolution, gas-filled, time-projection chambers employing CCD cameras to perform an optical readout; (7) gamma-ray detectors capable of making accurate measurements of high intensities (>1011 /s) with a precision of 1-2 %, as well as economical gamma-ray beam-profile monitors; (8) for rare isotope beams, next-generation, high-spatial-resolution focal plane detectors for magnetic spectrographs and recoil separators, for use with heavy ions in the energy range from less than 1 MeV/u to over 100 MeV/u; (9) a bolometer with high-Z material (e.g., W, Ta, Pb) for gamma ray detection with segmentation, capable of handling 100 -1000 gamma rays per second; (10) detectors made of more conventional materials (silicon or scintillator), capable of reconstructing multiple-Compton gamma-ray scattering with mm resolution; and (11) advances in CCD technology, particularly in areas of fast parallel, low-power readout, and crosstalk control. In the context of (4) we are developing large area imaging devices using the Micromegas technology associated with the read-out of a high number of channels (typically ~10,000) we will need to develop PCB boards that have an extremely good surface finish (in the sub-micron domain), in order to get minimize gain fluctuations and sparking. Interested parties should contact Dr. Wolfgang Mittig, NSCL/MSU (mittig@nscl.msu.edu).
Finally, grant applications are sought to develop high-rate, position sensitive particle tracking detectors and timing detectors for high-energy heavy-ions, (for example diamond detectors). Future rare isotope beam facilities like FRIB will provide beams with unprecedented intensity, creating a challenge for single particle tracking and beam profile measurements. The development of position sensitive fast particle detectors for particle tracking/timing and with high rate capability would be desirable. Ideally these detectors would provide both position and timing measurements in a transmission mode and be radiation resistant and of very homogenous density and thickness. Interested parties should contact Dr. Marc Hausmann, FRIB/MSU (Hausmann@frib.msu.edu).
Questions - contact Manouchehr Farkhondeh, manouchehr.farkhondeh@science.doe.gov
