Work on a large-area MRPC-based time-of-flight detector for high energy neutrons


Work on a large-area MRPC-based time-of-flight detector for high energy neutrons

Yakorev, D.; Bemmerer, D.

The NeuLAND detector at the R3B experiment of the future FAIR facility in Darmstadt aims to detect fast neutrons (0.2-1.0 GeV) with high time and spatial resolutions (σt<100 ps, σx,y,z<1 cm).

Here, development work on a possible NeuLAND solution based on the multigap resistive plate chamber (MRPC) technology is presented. In this hypothesis, the final detector consists of 50 consecutive MRPC stacks. Each stack contains a 4 mm thick anode made of iron converter material, with an additional 4mm of converter material between two stacks. The secondary charged particles stemming from hadronic interactions of the high energetic neutrons in the converter will be detected in the MRPC's. A number of prototypes have been developed and built. They have been tested with a beam of single electrons, with picosecond time resolution at the superconducting linac ELBE (Dresden, Germany).

The present prototypes show good time resolution and efficiency. However, much better multihit capability is expected for a fully active cube of 2.5 × 2.5 × 3 m scintillator material, so this is the solution adopted for the NeuLAND detector in the meantime.

Related publications

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-16855
Publ.-Id: 16855