Minutes: ACTAR collaboration meeting

Santiago March : 11-12

Patricia Chomaz made an introduction about ACTAR project status.

Deliverables : Reports before the end of the year 2008 (End of the JRA)

Task 1.1 : Yellow book -> done

Task 1.2 : Detailed simulations

Task 2 : Test modules

-  Detection/target gas

-  Readout chamber : Wires (GANIL), GEM (CENBG), Micromegas (IPNO)

-  Magnetic field configuration tests

Task 3 : Electronics and data acquisition

Task 4 : Data tracking

What remains to be spent : Saclay Engineer : see Lolly (Urgent)

There are still many things to do to provide deliverables before the end of 2008

Hector Alvarez : Presentation of the work programme ; ActarSim development programme

Hector made a sort review of the ActarSim code base on GEANT4/ROOT

Geant4 is used for Physics process and Geometry and Root for Drift , Digitilization (Maya like, Tactic like, TPC like) and Tracking process and data storage.

Code development: a version control system is available on the web site (document modifications, …)

Work to be done : ancillary detector coupling, pads geometry, … a detail work-plan has been defined for both geometry

3 developers: E. Benjamin, P. Danyang and Hector Alvarez

Tracking formalism is not yet ready

Pang Danyang reports on his simulations about 78Ni(d,p)79Ni @ 5-10 MeV/u and ActarSim development.

A beam energy of 10 AMeV is mandatory to get enough proton energy to be detected inside ACTAR.

Different Range are obtained with different GEANT4 libraries (to be checked)

Efficiency of the reaction 78Ni(d,p)79Ni @ 10 MeV/u have been shown for cubic geometry using Si wall (left, right, front side), an average efficiency of 50 % is obtained.

Work has to be done now to optimise geometry with drift, digitalisation and tracking.

A discussion starts around amplification GEM, Wires and charge spread.

Even without charge distribution on neighbour pads, we can measure it on PA current distribution. Shaping of PA could be adapted as well as the distance between GEM and pads.

Action : Some tests are scheduled at MSU (Wolfi).

E.A. Benjamin reports on her simulations about 78Ni(d,p)79Ni @ 10 MeV/u and ActarSim development.

Cylindrical geometry : radius 30 cm and length 50 cm with magnetic field 1-2-3 T, and pressures 400, 850, and 1013 mbar.

Efficiency plots were shown for a vertex position Z=10cm and 25 cm.

The efficiency for the protons which stop inside the gas, for all studied cases is :

1) within 45% to 65%, for Z=10 cm

2) within 54% to 64%, for Z=25 cm

Future : projection into the pad plane, tracking ….

Simulation work plan:

-  Cubic geometry : Super Maya

ancillary detectors coupling (Si and CsI), optimisation volume/pressure/energy loss of the beam/pad side.

Key points : ancillary detector vs electronics implantation (pads size)

Goal : decrease the pad size

-  Cylindrical geometry: Magnetic field

Projection on the end caps

For MSU 1m long and 50 cm diameter

Pads geometry = 10000 channels

Triangle shifted by ¼ in case of GEM and Micromegas (no charge distribution)

For ACTAR 50 cm long and 30 cm diameter

Number of Pads : 10000 to be checked

After 72 channels : 7cm x 0.5 cm

Wire and Hexagonal

Meeting : Dedicated visio conference before summer.

R. Raabe : Maya Status

-  CsI test (80) Alpha source bias 50 V and 30 V

-  Resolution about 3% (Only 3 detectors are not working properly)

-  Separate HV control is desirable

-  New anode with new Gassiplex (SHARAQ)

-  Gas mixture test : He + CO2 : (3He,d) and (3He,4He)

-  looks ok difficult to control mixture

-  Additional test necessary

-  Proposed experiments : (3He,4He) Ricardo and Roy and resonant elastic scattering (check with Alain)

H.Savajols: ACTAR@GANIL

The effectiveness of the active target concept was presented. This was illustrated by impressive results obtained in the domain of extremely neutron rich nuclei, new radioactivities, collective excitations of exotic nuclei. The active target enabled important breakthroughs, allowing to perform experiments which were not possible with any other method. However, the first generation active targets present intrinsic limitations, linked for most of them to the electronics available at the time of their conception.

A cubic geometry device was proposed for the studies of reactions induced by SPIRAL2 beams with the following characteristics :

chamber type / rectangle
size: / diameter / cm
width / 20 / cm
length / 20 / cm
heigth / 30 / cm
Readout plane / Micromegas, Wire
Dead Zone / 0 / %
Pad size / length / 2 / mm
width / 2 / mm
number of Pad / 10000
gaz / ALL available
drift speed / 200ns/cm to 2µs/cm
drift Time / 4µs to 50µs / µs
environment / Electric Field / V/cm
Magnetic Field / No / Tesla
Vacuum / 10-6 / TOR
Pressure / 20mb tp 2 atm / mBar
temperature / ambiant / °C
Temp. Variation / 5 / °K
mean event rate / 100 to 1000 / Bq
number of touched pads/event / 1 to 10 / %

Synergy with GASPARD.

The final decision on geometry for active target dedicated to reaction studies will be taken at the end of the simulation work.

W.Mittig (MSU) : AT-MSU

Boundary conditions : 1 M Dollars

New accelerator : 3 MeV/u available in 3 years

Dipole or Solenoid : 32Mg(d,p) simulations : At this energy you are below the Coulomb barrier and the maximum cross section are at forward laboratory angle

Is it really direct reaction ? Determination of l value could be done via excitation cross section

2T and 0.500 atm

Best is a solenoid cylindrical for trajectory reconstructions and beam shielding

Case 70Ni(d,d’) at 100 MeV/u

chamber type : / Cylindric
size: / diameter / 50 / cm
width / cm
length / 120 / cm
heigth / cm
Readout plane / Gem, Wire
Dead Zone / 5 / cm
Pad size / length / 5 / mm
width / 5 / mm
number of Pad / 10000
gaz / ALL available
drift speed / 200ns/cm to 2µs/cm
drift Time / 4µs to 50µs / µs
environment / Electric Field / V/cm
Magnetic Field / No / Tesla
Vacuum / air / TOR
Pressure / 20mb tp 2 atm / mBar
temperature / ambiant / °C
Temp. Variation / 5 / °K
mean event rate / 100 to 1000 / Bq
number of touched pads/event / 1 to 25 / %

MD Salsac (IRFU) R3B TPC

TPC after the Magnet

A versatile setup used for multipurpose physics

6000 channels for the readout

amplification : micromegas 2x5 m2

0.9x1.2x3.2m

Z=1 to Z=92, 104 dynamics !!!! so 2 gaz amplifications

12 bit ADC for Z determination

Horizontal position : Charge amplification

Vertical position : time projection

End 2012 – Saclay collaboration

P.Egelhof (GSI): Active target requierement for R3B status

- GSI today Prototype experiment : IKAR in front of ALADIN was described

Elastic proton scattering (matter distribution oh 8He,11Li,14Be,8B)

- With FAIR : Gain facteur 104 more intensity than present GSI

Super FRS + High energy cave or storage ring

Physics : Light ion induced direct reactions at low momentum transfer : Matter distribution, Giant monopole resonance (nuclear compressibility and new collective mode) and GT strength.

Requirement targets : H and He target and Low recoil energy detection

- EXL project is the best place to study low momentum transfer BUT at R3B and active target could overcome the half life limitation time (Not accessible to EXL)

- R3B active target : H2 at 20 bar (1m by 1m) with a beam shield

Beam tracking + vertex reconstruction

According to luminosity R3B TPC will not compete with EXL but will able to address the most exotic nuclei with short live isotopes.

Time schedule : first beam 2012 super FRS, but delayed 2014.

R3B active target is somehow complementary to EXL (short lifetimes, small beam intensities)

Questions :

-  requirement for other reactions

-  magnetic field or high pressure

-  shielding of the large emittance beam (2cm)

General discussion about synergies :

FEC board : 30cm x 1cm connector for 256 channels

-  Super Maya Type : if we have 20 x 30 cm we can put 5120 channels pads limitations is 10 mm2

-  MSU cylindrical : 25 mm2 pads size

BUT limitation is coming from the FEM board which is managing 6 FEC board.

Common DAQ: See Lolly

Dynamic ranges 1pC for Bordeaux

Rate ranges : MSU 1000/s is not possible but one way is not to read the 511 cells but 128

With T2K equipement, the limitation is 7cm in between each FEC board !!!!

Need to know readout wire, GEM or Micromegas (protection are different).

What about the cooling ?

Front-end part, we can gain a factor 2 in density as compared to what exists now.

à DAY 2 discussion :

Wolfgang Mittig : AFTER+ and application

ACTAR

TPC/GLAD/R3B/FAIR

BordeauxTPC

Is it possible to use the same asic for Si detector ? Sampling will be different Ge, CsI and LaBr3.

CC After+

72 channels is now available, but this can be reduced 64

What happens if a channel is not working ?

Dynamic : 120fC to 10pC

Peaking time increase to 3micros for CsI

External PA options

Sampling 200 MHz

Selective readout on the ASIC and FEM

ADC 13 bit

Time synchronisation

Rates : 1000 Hz events recorded

Working hypothese : Minimum changes

With 50ns x 511 x 72 = 1.8 ms can we reduced the number of cells to 128 to gain a factor 4

Trigger : external and internal

External trigger : be able to put delay to make coincidence with pads signal (leading edge)

Internal trigger : multiplicity, readout SCA nsca =2 x tdrift x fsampling

FEC -> FEM data transfer no limitation

RIB 1/1000 of the total words are transmitted

Collision x 25

Eric Delagne

What is different from high energy phys

-  auto-triggerable

-  large dynamic range

-  low noise

-  multiple sampling (For tracks with angles, for common mode rejection)

Two chips were presented : altro

No dead time

most advanced chip including A/D

zero dead time operation

power 35mW/ch

16 ch/chips only

external PA

PASA treats only cathode signals

Baseline correction limited

Work on the go : integration 1x1mm pads size for ILC

F. Druillole

Brief presentation of the T2K project (124000 channels)

FEC + FEM + DCC (for a large number of channels, need of 2 levels concentration)

CERAT : Complete electronic readout active target

Phase A organisation => conceptual design report

Scientific Manager and Technical Manager

Goal : definition of needs, feasibility studies

- Physics information

- Detector information

- System information

Exel file to be fill up

As we only manage 10000 channels, can we go directly from the FEM to the computer (without DCC)

Example of Antares have been shown, when they reach 350kBq with an event size of 6 bytes

Antares like data stream is proposed

Action: Write a technical specification report before the end of the year

P. Baron A review of AFTER+ was presented

- 3 charge ranges : 120fc (750keV), 1 pC (6.25MeV), 10 pc (62.5MeV) adjustable channel

- Charge measurement : Output dynamic range 2Vmatch the ADC specification (12bit ADC)

With INL <2%

- Peaking time : 16 values: 50ns to 1 ms; adjustable/chip

- Charge resolution

Configuraion: Charge Range 120fc, peaking time 200ns, Cin Asic < 30 pF

Asked < 600 electrons rms; possibility < 850 electron rms

- SCA : memory cells 511

- Sampling frequency : 20 Mhz to 25 MHz

- Time resolution : correlated to the sampling frequency, Jitter<2ns

- Discriminator : LED, inhibition / channel

- Trigger output : current : Sum of 72 discriminators

Trigger time resolution : the trigger time resolution will depend on the input charge, threshold & peaking time value

- Input dynamic range :5% of asic input dynamic ; INL < 5%

- Threshold value : common DAC 3 bits + 1 bit of polarity

- Individual DAC: 4 bits To be confirmed

- Comment : DACLSB = 0.04% of asic input dynamic range

- Minimum threshold value: 120fc; 30pF; 200ns. Minimun = 3 keV (0.5fc; 0.4% of asic dynamic range)

- Readout : 20 to 25 Mhz

- Readout mode : all channels, Hit channels or Specific channels

- Reduce the number of the SCA : 511, 256 or 128 SCA cells

- Internal readout buffer :

Calibration : External capacitor (test 1 channel/72)

Test : 3 internal capacitors

Functional : 1 internal capacitor/channel; test on 1, few or all channels

- Counting rate : 1 kHz

- Power consumption < 10 mW/channel

- Digital multiplicity or not !!! We keep the analog multiplicity output

Gilles Wittwer : Reflections on how to deal with the DCC+ and Integration in the GANIL acquisition

Questions :

What will be the data rates ?

How will be used the multiplicity ?

Locally on the FEMs

What kind of intelligent trigger ?

Preprogrammed at the front end but needs also an external validation

What about clock and clock distribution ? Centrum like 100MHz and 48 bits

Existing COTS : example of a slow control and readout without DCC

1000 Hz and 10000 channels need to make zero suppression

Data flow Gbits

Some tracks for a concentrator (controller) were presented. A mix of commercial and dedicated electronic is probably a good solution, especially with the lack of manpower in Lab.

Two years of development

Budget : a board = 5000 Euros

General discussion

For electronics and DAQ : minimum of 3 years developments

AFTER+ : Saclay

FEC : Saclay – Bordeaux – UK ???

FEM - Saclay– Bordeaux – UK ???

Control – PC: GANIL/MSU/UK ???

Bordeaux : Summer 2008

UK : beginning 2009

MSU :

GANIL : beginning 2009

Cost estimate of the new electronics : AFTER+ & FEC & FEC & DCC

Prototype : 50 kEu

Cost : 150 kEu ASIC production for 30000 cx

FEC : 500-600 Eu card : 256 channels

FEM : 1500 Eu card

Concentrator 5000 Euros (2 FEM)

Controler : 5000 Eu card